yes, the electrical infrastructure--and furthermore, the trees that hang over it--in Metro Detroit are aging and prone to breakage.

don't mistake me for playing Devil's advocate, because i have the same feelings about DTE as most other people, but you have to keep in mind that DTE doesnt necessarily have a duty, nor the ability to guarantee you power at all times. as they say, "shit happens." as a former phone company installer, i can tell you that the linemen out there have always done everything they can to keep the grid up. i cant speak for DTE's corporate policies, but i can tell you the men on the ground do their best to provide the best service. i heard a woman complaining at DTE on the radio this morning, who seemed to think it was DTE's fault the power went out. you cant blame them for an act of god. we still live in a world governed by mother nature. there is no guarantee of anything, such as the modern comfort of electricity. there are few people alive today who can remember the time before electrical service was universal, so i think our generations have taken it for granted to a large extent. if theres one thing i have learned from living in Detroit, it is: NEVER COUNT ON ANYONE TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. owning a generator is a wise investment, if you can afford it [[and dont live on the 10th floor of an apt blg).

yes, buried facilities are more storm-proof than aerial plant, but you have to understand what a colossal undertaking it is to relocate stuff like that. they cant just pull that out of their proverbial ass. AGAIN--i cant speak for DTE's corporate policies, so please dont assume im defending DTE, but i do know how much this stuff involves.

that said, i am happy to report that while Fort Wayne suffered some damage last night, we did not have any downed lines. the efforts of the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition have begun to pay off; we have done a lot of tree work over the years to help minimize damage to blgs and powerlines by our GIGANTIC FIRGGIN TREES, lol. we had a couple windows and doors blown out by the wind, and lots of tree boughs, shingles, and gutters strewn about, but other than that, nothing major.