February 5th, 2013

CNN reports on warnings of Superdome power failures, ahead of Super Bowl

CNN correspondent Brian Todd reports on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer:  “In the months leading up to Super Bowl XLVII, there were worries and warnings among engineers and Superdome officials about the stadium’s power situation.

That’s according to memos and letters obtained by CNN from the attorney for the Superdome’s management group.  October 14, 2012, a memo from Pat Tobler, construction consultant for the Superdome, refers to transient spikes and loads in the system that had previously occurred.

The concern, whether the connection point from the grid from the power supplier, Entergy, to the Superdome was reliable.  This memo said a test determined that the power feeder line had some decay and had a chance of failure.

A letter five days before that from an outside engineer hired by the Superdome said based on test results, the Superdome’s main and only electrical feed are not sufficiently reliable to support the high-profile event schedule.  That letter warned of the loss of events and financial liability to the Dome’s managers.”

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A full transcript of Brian Todd’s report will be posted on http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/sitroom.html.