Narrative:

Thunderstorms were forming throughout our sector (73). The right controller requested the traffic to be stopped. I sat down on the RA side; the supervisor said to stop the traffic; which we did. There were still a couple of airplanes in the sector; 2 did not deviate. They were north of the cell. Air carrier X went through and said he needed the different altitude due to the ride. ZOB would not take him at wrong direction for flight. Then I heard him say he could not maintain drvsm. I told the supervisor this and to stop anything coming our way. He was on the phone telling the front desk what was happening. He then told me that he was ordered to let the traffic go through the sector. I told him it was not safe and he said it was an order. Both I and the right side requested to be relieved. He told us there was nobody to get us up. When the next 'set' of planes came they immediately deviated south to get away from the WX. This caused a great amount of confusion between the right and RA side as well as sectors to the north and south. The right side idented a possible separation error with an aircraft we were forced to work; but never entered our sector due to the WX. We also were working in uret which caused a great deal of confusion as to who was doing what with each aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY HDOF CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING MGMNT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH TFC FLOWS REGARDLESS OF WX CONDITIONS.

Narrative: TSTMS WERE FORMING THROUGHOUT OUR SECTOR (73). THE R CTLR REQUESTED THE TFC TO BE STOPPED. I SAT DOWN ON THE RA SIDE; THE SUPVR SAID TO STOP THE TFC; WHICH WE DID. THERE WERE STILL A COUPLE OF AIRPLANES IN THE SECTOR; 2 DID NOT DEVIATE. THEY WERE N OF THE CELL. ACR X WENT THROUGH AND SAID HE NEEDED THE DIFFERENT ALT DUE TO THE RIDE. ZOB WOULD NOT TAKE HIM AT WRONG DIRECTION FOR FLT. THEN I HEARD HIM SAY HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN DRVSM. I TOLD THE SUPVR THIS AND TO STOP ANYTHING COMING OUR WAY. HE WAS ON THE PHONE TELLING THE FRONT DESK WHAT WAS HAPPENING. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE WAS ORDERED TO LET THE TFC GO THROUGH THE SECTOR. I TOLD HIM IT WAS NOT SAFE AND HE SAID IT WAS AN ORDER. BOTH I AND THE R SIDE REQUESTED TO BE RELIEVED. HE TOLD US THERE WAS NOBODY TO GET US UP. WHEN THE NEXT 'SET' OF PLANES CAME THEY IMMEDIATELY DEVIATED S TO GET AWAY FROM THE WX. THIS CAUSED A GREAT AMOUNT OF CONFUSION BTWN THE R AND RA SIDE AS WELL AS SECTORS TO THE N AND S. THE R SIDE IDENTED A POSSIBLE SEPARATION ERROR WITH AN ACFT WE WERE FORCED TO WORK; BUT NEVER ENTERED OUR SECTOR DUE TO THE WX. WE ALSO WERE WORKING IN URET WHICH CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION AS TO WHO WAS DOING WHAT WITH EACH ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.