For Op-Ed’s 40th anniversary, an adaptation of an essay by Richard Price. By Richard Price The massive blackout on Aug. 14, 2003, five years ago, exposed many flaws in the nation’s fragile power grid.

For a while, this colossal disaster was a shared reference point for millions. We salvaged a tub of ice cream on the roof, hitched a ride home with strangers, directed traffic at a darkened ...

Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: But on August 14, 2003, the tree of heaven upped the ante on its past devilish behavior, causing the largest blackout in the history of North America ...