Over the last weeks, Los Angeles saw its heaviest rainfall in over 40 years. Extreme rain and wind toppled trees and power lines, cutting off electricity to thousands of Angelenos. The Los Angeles Department of Water and power swung into action immediately, raising the incident status to Level 3, the highest state of alert, comparable to a major earthquake or terrorist attack. Although many customers were without power for days, LADWP crews worked around the clock in the wind and the rain. As of this writing, the lights are back on in most of the city, but at least one LADWP crew member remains in intensive care after sustaining serious injuries while repairing damaged power lines in the East San Fernando Valley. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to these unsung heroes who risk their lives high overhead and in flooded vaults below our streets to turn our lights back on when natural disaster strikes.