Two crippling storms in one month: Are underground wires the answer?

Twice last month, brief but powerful storms slammed Greater Morristown, toppling trees and shutting down power to thousands of residents. Were these examples of the increasingly violent storms that some forecasters say we can expect as global temperatures rise? And would burying power lines minimize extended outages that have become a way of life in our area since Tropical Storm Irene in 2011?.. "It is impossible to link severe events like this directly to something like climate change," said Rutgers Professor David Robinson, New Jersey’s state climatologist. "Fact is, it is summer, which is the season for severe storms in New Jersey. July has been an active month to be sure!"