First thing I heard this morning was a tremendous explosion and the power going off.

[AlienGirl]

The transformer right outside our apartment blew up. My first, irrational and no doubt movie-influenced, thought was someone had dropped a bomb near us. I dived under the bed (almost fit under it, too) and listened. When I didn't hear any airplanes, I figured not a bomb. Then I thought maybe it was the start of an earthquake (quakes are LOUD!) but there was no shaking.

I heard neighbors outside, asking each other if they'd lost power too, so I went walking out. The transformer box was wide open and smoking.

As I stood there looking into the box to make sure no smouldering wires would spread the fire to the buildings, a neighbor walked up. "Hey, did you see anyone running away from it?" he asked. His first, irrational and no doubt news-influenced, thought was terrorists.

"Transformers sometimes just blow," I said.

Tucker

[Xipe Totec]

1. They do blow,

especially after somebody puts a bullet through them and drains the coolant oil.

When they blow they are loud.

[Call Me Wesley]

2. Scary, isn't it?

I was watching a transformer get hit by lightning two months ago. It was pretty impressive, and we had no power for at least five hours. - But there's a pretty decent difference here: Nobody even thought slightly of bombs/terrorists ...

[BarenakedLady]

3. We've had no phone all day.

Called the phone company on the cell phone and evidently they are closed today?

Hmmmm at least no solicitors for once.