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It's been 15 years since the 2003 blackout that left metro Detroit in the dark

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Hard to believe 15 years have passed since a massive power outage left 50 million people in the northeast and Midwest in the dark, including Metro Detroit.

On Aug. 14, 2003, a tree branch in Ohio fell onto a high voltage power line, and that outage affected eight states from New York to Canada and Michigan. A software bug failed to re-distribute the overloaded transmission lines. 

The outage was fixed for most in a day, but lasted for a few days for many people.

People in Metro Detroit, Lansing and Ann Arbor were affected, and that lead to crowded stores, packed restaurants and overbooked hotels.

Where were you during the 2003 blackout? Share your story on Facebook.

The incident lead to new rules in tree-trimming near power lines and technology upgrades for many utility companies.