If you’re a regular user of electricity, you’re familiar with this scenario: A thunderstorm booms, lightning streaks across the sky, and the room suddenly goes dark. Usually, the electricity whirs back on within a couple of seconds. But if the storm downed a utility pole, it could be hours; if it took out a substation, you’d better stock up on candles and shelf-stable provisions.

As climate change breeds harder rains and stronger winds, we can expect more frequent, and longer, power outages. But what if utilities could prepare in advance?