On November 18, 2016, at around 11:10 am, a lightning bolt struck the school’s backup generator and created a blackout that lasted for about an hour. Due to the blackout, students used their phones in order to see where they were going in the dim hallways. After a full period with no power, the school decided to send everyone home. Once the decision was announced — at 12:23 — all the light and power returned. Fearing that the decision would be reversed, the students rushed out of the school the minute the bell struck at 12:25. (They didn’t know that the problem was that the water pumps were malfunctioning and school was released for sanitation issues.)
Pony Express News • November 22, 2016 • https://mortonponyexpress.com/student-life/2016/11/22/boom-blackout-at-east/