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There are a myriad of reasons why the utility companies are so slow in recovery after storms.

1- They are regulated by government authority
2- They have very tight inventories of poles, transformers, etc. (all across the country)
3- Most are top heavy management and bottom light workers
4- All companies rely on workers from other areas of the country (and from other countries)
5- Back to regulation...their profits are regulated by government
6- Back to regulation.....because of that they shed many of their workers (retired aren’t replaced)
7- Would you hold inventory in “Inventory Tax” states?

These companies are very top heavy, rely on a network of a limited amount of actual hands-on workers around the country and with sparse ‘just in time’ inventory of equipment. (just like grocery stores have very limited on-hand food - same goes for utility companies)

At this stage in the game - the workers are there but most likely don’t have anything to put up - they are most likely waiting for inventory and are driving around looking busy.

Buy a Generator (no matter where you live)

(DH is a recently retired lead lineman for a large utility in New England who’s worked in Canada, Puerto Rico, Texas, NY, Ohio, Arkansas, Mississippi - all within the past 15 years (before that it was helping other utilities just within New England) - and yup, no one replaced him)