diff --git a/src/event.py b/src/event.py
index 98796c5..b102eaa 100644
--- a/src/event.py
+++ b/src/event.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def reduce_update_event(update: dict) -> Tuple:
 
 
 @tracer.wrap()
-def process_event(update, current_stop_state: dict):
+def process_event(update: dict, current_stop_state: dict):
     """Process a single event from the MBTA's realtime API."""
     (
         current_status,
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ def process_event(update, current_stop_state: dict):
         prev["updated_at"] = datetime.fromisoformat(prev["updated_at"])
 
     if stop_id is None:
+        # TODO (hamima): attempt to enrich update with stop information. if successful,
+        # continue. otherwise, return.
         return
 
     is_departure_event, is_arrival_event = arr_or_dep_event(
diff --git a/src/stop_guessing.py b/src/stop_guessing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aba6773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stop_guessing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+from datetime import datetime
+import pandas as pd
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional
+
+# a data structure of negligent vehicles.
+# purge this on a new service date. i dont like that this is a dict--should this be a redis cache? dynamodb? also route shapes
+
+# TODO: should we track degenerate vehicles? the knowledge isnt actionable but it is neat
+cache_key_fmt = "{vehicle_label}_{trip_id}"
+OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP: Dict[str, List[Dict]] = {}
+
+SAME_OUTAGE_TIMEDELTA = datetime.timedelta(seconds=30)
+LONG_OUTAGE_TIMEDELTA = datetime.timedelta(minutes=1)
+
+
+def _add_update_to_sequence(cache_key: str, update: Dict) -> None:
+    if cache_key in OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP:
+        OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP[cache_key].append(update)
+    else:
+        OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP[cache_key] = [update]
+
+
+def _remove(cache_key: str) -> None:
+    OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP[cache_key] = []
+
+
+def purge_cache():
+    nonlocal OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP
+    OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP = {}
+
+
+def attempt_enrich_update(update: Dict) -> Optional[Dict]:
+    # if direction is none, attempt pull from trips.txt
+    # if stop is null, interpolate along shapes.txt (trip-shape relationship in trips.txt)
+    #   maybe fetch and cache shape?
+    #   if there are a couple of options, tie-break with the schedule?
+    # if current_status is IN_TRANSIT...
+    #   check previous location stamp. if its TOO CLOSE, it might be stopped.
+    # if its TOO CLOSE to a stop location, its stopped at a stop.
+    #   otherwise, it might be bogged down in traffic, sitting at a red, whatever.
+    # update event_type accordingly
+    return None
+
+
+def report_outage(update: Dict) -> Optional[pd.DataFrame]:
+    """Given an outage event, cache it and potentially try fill the missing information.
+
+    If the outage duration is small (<1 minute,) it will return nothing.
+    For longer outages, attempt to fill the missing information using gtfs data
+    This might still fail and return nothing.
+    """
+    cache_key = cache_key_fmt.format(vehicle_label=update["vehicle_label"], trip_id=update["trip_id"])
+    outage_sequence = OUTAGES_BY_VEHICLE_AND_TRIP.get(cache_key, [])
+    if len(outage_sequence) == 0:
+        _add_update_to_sequence(cache_key, update)
+        return None
+
+    # compare latest outage timestamp....
+    last_ts = outage_sequence[-1]["updated_at"]
+    first_ts = outage_sequence[0]["updated_at"]
+    current_ts = update["updated_at"]
+
+    # if timestamps are not close, remove entire cache entry. this is now the first instance of a new outage.
+    if current_ts - last_ts >= SAME_OUTAGE_TIMEDELTA:
+        _remove(cache_key)
+        _add_update_to_sequence(cache_key, update)
+        return None
+    else:
+        _add_update_to_sequence(cache_key, update)
+        # if the outage is <1 min, not long enough to bother with shape interpolation yet.
+        if current_ts - first_ts <= LONG_OUTAGE_TIMEDELTA:
+            return None
+        else:
+            # else, attempt to intuit the stop information via shapes and trip info
+            return attempt_enrich_update(update)
diff --git a/src/util.py b/src/util.py
index 3791aab..34c69a3 100644
--- a/src/util.py
+++ b/src/util.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def output_dir_path(route_id: str, direction_id: str, stop_id: str, ts: datetime
         delimiter = "_"
         mode = "cr"
     # rapid transit may rarely have dashes AND SPACES in stop id/route id!
-    # ex, Green_D_1-Union Square-02
+    # ex, Green-D_1_Union Square-02
     elif route_id in ROUTES_RAPID:
         delimiter = "_"
         mode = "rapid"