In 2003, a widespread blackout affected the northeastern United States, leaving over 45 million people across eight states without power. Around 75 New York hospitals had no electricity, with the longest outage lasting over two hours.
While hospitals have generators, hospitals experience electrical problems with their HVAC units and water pressure if this equipment fails. An extended blackout makes it impossible for some facilities to sterilize their equipment or refrigerate and cook in their cafeterias.
During the 2003 outage, doctors couldn't view X-rays digitally or register and transport patients. Some patients even reported respiratory problems due to device failure.