13th Avenue Buzzes Overnight Amid Blackout and Roadwork

By BoroPark24 Staff

A power outage has affected the entire area surrounding 53rd Street and 13th Avenue after several manholes caught fire due to the extreme heat experienced on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The blackout, which began late Wednesday and continued into Thursday, left numerous stores unable to open their doors, impacting both business and daily life in the neighborhood. While some parts of the area briefly saw power restored overnight, most of the block remains in darkness.

Among the most affected is the famed Shomer Shabbos Shul, which remains without power but continues to operate with the help of temporary lighting and generators. The nearby Viznitz Shul on 53rd Street is also impacted, yet tefillos and Torah learning are being carried out to the extent possible.

In an effort to maintain operations, several store owners have rented generators to keep their businesses running despite the outage.

According to Con Edison’s outage map, 131 customers remain without electricity. The utility company has provided an estimated restoration time of 1:00 PM today. Crews are on scene assessing and repairing the damage caused by the underground fires, though work is ongoing.

Adding to the unusual scene on 13th Avenue last night was a separate operation: repaving work that took place throughout the night, stretching until around 50th Street. At the same time, Con Edison emergency response vehicles were parked just a block ahead, all working side by side in the late-night hours.