This seems to be a localized issue, but still a problem if you are affected. At he moment, it appears to be the fault of a single power line failure, see:
http://liveblogwp.wtop.com/Event/Power_outages

IMO, another example of why to carry a flashlight with you at all times. . . and the other precautions Dagny mentions. . .
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"Better is the enemy of good enough."