Earlier this evening a black column of smoke could be seen curling it's way up into the serene Austin sky. What was the source of this billowing mass? The City of Austin Second Street Power Plant explosion.

Sources at the power plant could not be reached for comment, but some speculated that a transformer explosion created this darkened sky. Austin360.com reported that "traffic is at a standstill."

After seeing the ensuing plumes of dark clouds rising from the ground, eye witness Brenna Reinhart said, "Huh, huh, fire."

Another eye-witness on the scene, Hollie Hernandez commented, "I knew I should leave when Subway closed," echoing the prophetic role that this national franchise plays in the youth of America.

Lee Knowles was dumbfounder commenting, "Yeah, what happened?" It seems local residents are completly baffled by these unfolding events.

Business on the drag are affected by this power outage and this reporter can only speculate on the money being lost due to lost revenue.

Fortunately (or unfortunately for some), the University of Texas was not affected by this power outage. With their own source of power, they can keep those lights burning long into the night.

How long will residents go without power? Only time can tell.
Copyright (C) 1997,1999 Michael Cote'