Many of us are again sharing the dreaded loss of electricity this week after an abrupt change in temperature Sunday,accompanied by high winds, knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of homes.
As of Monday, there were still 177,000 customers in the dark, and for some, it may be days before power is restored.
Prolonged loss of power in the summer is an inconvenience for most, but in the winter it can be devastating.
Temperatures well below freezing mean life-threatening situations, not to mention potential damage to homes, loss of business, etc.
For many in SE Michigan, the question becomes why is this happening every time the wind blows a bit too hard?
Hardly a year goes by anymore without some of us losing power.
The last extended power outage (early June of this year) resulted in hearings aimed at our electric monopolies and what they were doing to prevent repeats.
At the time, I remember DTE spokesmen blaming dead Ash trees falling on the lines. And this morning I heard the same excuse.
Weren't all those dead trees supposed to be removed the last time the power went out?
We hear news about other parts of the nation where hurricanes and massive ice storms cause extended power outages. One has to wonder how long the power would be out here if we experienced those types of catastrophic events.
Perhaps it is time for another set of hearings.