#NewsBytesExplainer: Solar storm that caused Quebec blackout in 1989
Back in March 1989, a huge solar storm knocked out power across Quebec for nine hours, leaving about six million people in the dark.
The blackout was triggered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched by active region 5395 (associated with flares on 10 and 12 March 1989) whose interplanetary shocks and magnetic structures produced a geomagnetic storm and geomagnetically induced currents that caused the outage—a wild reminder that space weather can seriously impact life on the ground.
CMEs from sunspot region 5395 launched toward Earth
A series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from sunspot region 5395 launched plasma and magnetic structures that traveled toward Earth with an estimated peak speed of about 980km/s.
These hit our planet's magnetic field and kicked off a geomagnetic storm strong enough to disrupt technology far below.
Quebec's unique geology helped funnel extra electrical currents
Quebec's unique geology actually helped funnel extra electrical currents into its power grid, pushing systems past their limits.
Within roughly 60-75 seconds, static VAR capacitors tripped in sequence at multiple stations, triggering protective relays that caused the province's main network to shut down—lights out for millions.
The storm's effects were felt far beyond Quebec
The effects didn't stop at Quebec: auroras lit up skies as far south as Florida and Cuba, and power grids in places like the US and Sweden also felt the shock.
Afterward, Hydro-Quebec upgraded its systems to better handle storms like this in the future.