We've been in our current house for about 2.5 years, and the neighborhood is about 9 years old. According to our neighbors things have been fairly rock-solid after some initial hiccups. Until about a year ago. We had a couple outages in the early summer that went for an hour and change each, and then two days after Irene. Nothing awful, but enough to get one to thinking.

We have a standby generator now. I don't know if the past year was a fluke or a warning, but we will have a dry basement and safe food at least until the gas service gives out...