I believe the story below is just the precursor of things to come. It is only the first week of July. It is believed August will have "Blackouts" occurring on an unprecedented scale. There has been speculation the national guard maneuvers for civil unrest which had been thought to address Y2K, may in fact be directed to our increase in sever weather.

Northeast  Heat Wave TriggersBlackouts...07/07/99

NEW YORK (AP) - Temperatures climbed to 100 steamy degrees in the East for the third day in a row Tuesday, triggering blackouts and making for an unpleasant return to work for people who spent the holiday weekend in shorts and T-shirts. At least eight deaths have been blamed on the heat in the Midwest and East. The heat also stalled trains in New York and forced summer schools to send children home early. High temperature records started falling before the sun even reached its peak, as Atlantic City, N.J., hit 98 before noon, with humidity of about 40%. The mercury hit record highs of 100 at Newark, N.J., and Harrisburg, Pa., 101 in New York City, 102 in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and 103 at Washington's Reagan National Airport.