So the problem wasn't necessarily the power company, but that people's metal roofs were nailed on instead of using heavy duty screws.
Not too many trees near power lines at all (well, maybe in the cities, but I don't live there), and the power lines that come onto my property are nearly twice as tall as any tree here, so a broken tree is unlikely to touch the wires, though it might break a pole now and then. Cottonwoods are a different story - they are taller than the local access power lines, but all my Cottonwoods are far away from the power lines. Most trees that break in the wind here snap a large limb or two instead up coming out by the roots. Given our soil type (sandy loam), this has always surprised me a bit that they don't just pull up by the roots, but that is rare here. Must be strong and deep roots.