Wait a minute, five weeks for sub station damage? I live in WA State, within two months of moving here we were hit with what was termed a hundred year storm, 90 mph winds, 15 degree temperatures, 15 inches of snow, topped off with two inches of ice as the storm passed. Sub stations and transformers were popping all over the county and we could see the green explosions from our house. We were without electricity for 5 days and as temperatures warmed, our frozen water pipes burst and we had that to deal with, also. We were some of the last to get power back. Sub stations were the first to be repaired, then transformers and above the ground lines.
We lost power for multiple days three times that year. We were told that utilities avoided burying electric lines because it would put too many electric line men out of work.
As I said, it’s a rumor. But the implication was that it’s all water damage from the surge flood.