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Worker error kills power to half of L.A.
 The power outage knocked out traffic lights around the Los Angeles area. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSLOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- About 700,000 electric customers in Los Angeles lost power Monday afternoon after a worker mistakenly cut a wrong line, triggering a cascade of problems in the city's power grid, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said. About 50 percent of the department's 1.4 million customers were affected by the outage, which began at about 1 p.m. (4 p.m. ET). Power had returned to most areas by 2:30 p.m., according to department spokesman Ron Deaton. The blackout trapped people in elevators and caused traffic to snarl at intersections where stoplights weren't working. According to Deaton, after the line was mistakenly cut, other lines in the area could not handle the additional load, triggering a string of problems. Two stations in the San Fernando Valley that connect the generation and distribution systems tripped off line, causing three power plants to shut down automatically as a safety measure, according to city officials. The outages stretched from the valley through downtown south to San Pedro, as well as parts of the city's west side. After the power failed, Los Angeles police went on full tactical alert, with officers ordered to stay on duty at the end of their shifts. The alert was later downgraded, although officers were still being kept on duty to assist in traffic control. The Los Angeles Fire Department received numerous calls from people trapped in elevators, said department spokeswoman Jim Wells. Los Angeles International Airport reported flickering of lights but no interruption of flight operations. Van Nuys Airport, a busy general aviation airport in the San Fernando Valley, lost electricity but was able to continue operations with backup power. The blackout came as U.S. counterterrorism officials said they were skeptical that a purported al Qaeda tape that threatened Los Angeles and Australia was a prelude to an attack. One official said it "appears to be just a propaganda tool put out by al Qaeda to mark the 9/11 anniversary," which was Sunday. (Full story) Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke told The Associated Press federal officials were talking to state and local counterparts about the blackout, but "there is no indication of any nexus to terror." While heavy power usage can contribute to blackouts, the weather in Los Angeles was mild Monday, with the high temperature forecast in the mid-70s. CNN's Jen Rogers, Ali Velshi and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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