The New York City blackout of 1977 struck on July 13 of that year and lasted for 25 hours, during which black and Hispanic neighborhoods fell prey to destruction and looting.&nbsp;

Over 3,000 people were arrested, and the city's already crowded prisons were so overburdened that some suggested reopening the recently condemned Manhattan Detention Complex.

The financial crisis, high crime rates, and damage from the blackouts led to a widespread belief that New York City was in irreversible decline and beyond redemption. By the end of the 1970s, nearly a million people had left, a population loss that would not be recouped for another twenty years. To Jonathan Mahler, the chronicler of The Bronx is Burning, "The clinical term for it, fiscal crisis, didn't approach the raw reality. Spiritual crisis was more like it."

At Walton Ave. and East Burnside Ave. in the Bronx was left completely devastated when looters broke into the store during the blackout. Clerks attempted to restock the shelves and throw out spoiled foods.

After the massive power failure in the metropolitan New York area led to acts of vandalism in some parts of the city. New York Mayor Abraham Beame said some 2,000 people were arrested

The day after a massive blackout struck New York City and was marked by widespread looting and chaos

In the wake of the New York City blackout in Brooklyn

After looting erupted into vandalism

By the end of the day, more than 3,400 had been arrested and 558 police officers had been injured

Due to subways and public transportation being shut down

in one of the many fires raging in stores throughout New York City during the blackout

Across the city hundreds of off-duty police reported in to handle emergencies from the blackout

The failure stranded millions of New Yorkers in buildings and on elevators and subway trains

stands among the looted shelves of his store

After the blackout. Lights were provided by generators of moored ships

Shined from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, despite the massive power failure

The morning after the massive blackout that hit the city

The streets that are normally crowded with people and vehicles were deserted after Mayor Beame declared a state of emergency and urged all who did not have vital business in the city to stay home

At 5 pm, when it would normally be jammed with rush hour commuters

Owners try to salvage a few items in this picture

the Empire State building and New York skyline were left in the dark, as seen from Queens during the blackout

and the southern tip of Manhattan were plunged into near darkness as the massive power failure hit New York City and the surrounding suburbs. The power failure was attributed to lightning which hit several upstate transmission cables.