As a younger fella, I once went for a run while staying at my sister’s house in Del Webb’s master planned community Summerlin, in the suburbs of Las Vegas, and one of the first things I noticed while jogging around the neighborhood was the neatness and efficiency of the underground utility infrastructure. Nevada desert? Bury everything, especially in brand new new raceways and conduit designed and built in parallel with new roads. Easy peasy. Which is what Summerlin has in common with The Woodlands. I’m not an engineer but I can imagine the maintenance shitshow that buried infrastructure would cause in Houston. I foresee thousands of backhoes laying half submerged in a stew of busted up concrete and gumbo mud. Feel free to tell me I’m wrong. After Harvey, Spectrum had to replace 100% of their ground and underground plant. And just ask AT&T how well buried copper holds up, remember when you would see airgas canisters laying on the ground where moisture had seeped into 100 pair cables. There are places in SW LA where centurylink has just abandoned everything.