100mph winds should fall under an “act of God”. No amount of easement for trees along a power corridor could withstand that as I have seen the top of a ponderosa pine travel over 100 yards with 80mph gusts.
Given the lawsuits that are now flying and fines in California the only answer I see for utilities is to power down their entire system prior to a storm and conduct a full system check after the storm passes before powering it back up.
Easier said than done, but these huge judgments likely cost more than shutting off the service for a few days.
Strange how Big Pharma gets immunity for killing people but utilities don’t have immunity for 100mph wins isn’t it?
Very interesting indeed.
I’ve worked numerous storm duties. Days blend and become mentally taxing. (Physically for the linemen) I worked 15 straight 16 hour shifts before. I had problems trying to keep track of all the jobs I was dispatching. Your brain becomes mush.
I’m sure military personnel in certain jobs have dealt with far, far worse...