In the lead-up to new year’s eve, partygoers from across the globe have no doubt been telling their pals that they plan to ‘party like it’s 1999’. And much like 1999, mass panic has ensued as a bunch of New Yorkers feared that the end was nigh, only at the hands of aliens rather than the Y2K bug.
[jwplayer wVFCnDmt]
At roughly 9:12pm on Thursday night when all of New York was either in bed watching Netflix (have you seen Bird Box?) or out getting lit, the sky became engulfed in blue smoke and flames.
“A sort of unnatural, fluorescent shade of blue,” an onlooker who was watching from inside a terminal at La Guardia Airport told the New York Times.
“We thought it was a U.F.O.,” said a longtime Astoria resident.
Blue skies in New York, what’s going on? 😱 pic.twitter.com/yBPKeYeh44
— Andres Rios (@andressrrios) December 28, 2018
But fear not, readers with loved ones in NYC, your pals have not become the human slaves of Kang and Kodos-esque beings, it turns out it was a mishap at a local power plant.
Speaking with NBC New York, the Con Edison power plant of Queens said some transformers at the substation on 20th Avenue and 32nd Street tripped offline and started a fire, which is what lit up the sky. Residents in Astoria and Queens said the explosion was so bright, it was almost as if it were daytime.
The light show was immense and could be seen from as far as Manhattan, with residents across the city stopping to take pictures and video to post to social media. No injuries have been reported, but some areas of the city have experienced blackouts, including the LaGuardia Airport.
Apparently this is a fire at the Astoria Power plant – as seen from Jersey City. Hope everyone is ok! #nyc #queens #newyork #bluelight #bluelights #aliens #astoria #powerplant #fire #blackout #newyorkcity #besafe #electrical pic.twitter.com/D7XZZDZyEA
— Simone Bachmann (@viking_gal) December 28, 2018
The biggest takeaway from this experience, in my opinion, is how the general public reacted.
In end of the world / disaster / alien invasion films, whenever an event such as a massive fkn blue explosion engulfing the sky occurs, hysteria usually spreads through the streets as folks flock to their local grocery stores to pick up supplies before heading to their bunkers. Either that or the bridges and highways become clogged with cars attempting to flee the city from impending doom.
How did the citizens of New York react IRL, however? Rather than taking cover or getting the heck outta dodge, they took to their social media pages to document the occasion with some hilarious posts.
That’s right guys, meme culture has become so ingrained in our society that we’d rather spread some laughs online to score some likes and retweets than ESCAPE THE END OF THE WORLD.
MOVIE PITCH: War Of The Worlds, only Tom Cruise and his fam are the only ones escaping and everyone else is indoors memeing their little hearts out and we see them become slaves to the aforementioned Kang and Kodos-esque creatures. Just an idea.
Anyway, here are the memes that were apparently worth dying for:
The Blue sky in new york has got me ready to put my blindfold on… pic.twitter.com/oyDWPvOAtj
— Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) December 28, 2018
Due to recent activities in NYC 👽 I’m on my way to Dicks Sporting goods for supplies & a bow & arrow 🎯 seek shelter, I will find you 👊🏻
— Mike The Situation ☝🏻 (@ItsTheSituation) December 28, 2018
The New York sky tonight confirming there is no Dana only Zuul #ghostbusters pic.twitter.com/ceEu6m9ATa
— Joe Auriemma (@JosephAuriemma) December 28, 2018
everyone in New York right now, staring out their windows because they’ve clearly forgotten the plot of Independence Day pic.twitter.com/z9B12B4SP8
— LH (@halvorsen) December 28, 2018
congrats on your new superpowers astoria residents
— anna borges (@annabroges) December 28, 2018
no matter what the lights above nyc turns out to be (aliens, 2nd coming of christ, infinity gauntlet) it’s still di blasio’s fault
— Desus MFing Nice💯 (@desusnice) December 28, 2018
Folks on twitter reacting without surprise to the prospect of an alien invasion in NYC is peak 2018.
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) December 28, 2018
before the US government shuts me up, aliens have landed in NYC pic.twitter.com/6e819jHSyo
— korra👩❤️💋👩 (@shutupfrances) December 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/ClueHeywood/status/1078478916937965568
NYC is so expensive when the aliens get here they just go straight to Queens
— Liam Stack (@liamstack) December 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/BarbieREMs/status/1078481629637738497
Blue lights over NYC? 911 outages?? #911outage #Aliens pic.twitter.com/xr8IbNepVD
— Ben / Hyperion (@Hyperion721) December 28, 2018
Me looking at the Aliens landing in NYC
pic.twitter.com/WWyG3xMOdt— Jov (@JeauxVaughn) December 28, 2018
*NYC now setting “Alien” tax. Everybody in NY other than NYC must pay $20 annually for new extraterrestrial landing pad in Central Park* https://t.co/iduahAuyjz
— Ryan Deck (@Rrubberduckiex) December 28, 2018
Aliens tryna see what’s good in NYC for New year’s I fuck with it
— NBA fan (@JSingh824) December 28, 2018
Blue sky in NYC? NYPD says “Transformer Fire,” New Yorkers say “Aliens.” I say #WinterisHere 👀#nycsky #Queens #Astoria #coned #GoT pic.twitter.com/WxJld5hnPg
— Liz Vilchis (@LizVilchis_NJ) December 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/TheNiceGuysMAGA/status/1078493266398588928
Aliens arriving in NYC tonight #nycskyline #Bluelight pic.twitter.com/sH77zVm9tD
— Do Bee (@dubee24) December 28, 2018
ariana is psychic and when she released the light is coming she was actually warning us about the aliens taking over nyc pic.twitter.com/s9vSpx3LIA
— h (@mybloodIine) December 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/nabrinas/status/1078483857999982592
Apparently Thanos, Zuul, Gozer, Jesus, Jeff Goldblum, Aliens (all of them), Space Force, and giant marshmallows are over NYC right now. Or else all of Queens just got flashythinged #nyc pic.twitter.com/EnX4OTkQTb
— Jenny (@jpkADK) December 28, 2018
Since there is an alien invasion in NYC right now, I like to refer some great discount offers on AirBnB rentals in Manhattan. Use promo code ANAL PROBE #bluelight
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) December 28, 2018
Honestly if it’s aliens making the light show, either blow us the fuck up or don’t waste my time with this shit #NYC #nycskyline pic.twitter.com/jKe52JB5tj
— Oscar lives rent free (@RagnaMarkndRoll) December 28, 2018
The aliens when they land in NYC and realize they gotta fight the rats to abduct the people pic.twitter.com/IR3qw9UTZN
— Nuff Nancy (@Dan_Vanderbilt) December 28, 2018
the aliens are coming to nyc pic.twitter.com/9DVN1vSm74
— logan (@gagasweetener) December 28, 2018
And lastly, to sum up the sentiment of this article:
Pretty cool that everyone in NYC thought their city was under attack by aliens and just kinda tweeted jokes about it until it was over.
— Andrew Nadeau (@TheAndrewNadeau) December 28, 2018
