Final answer:
The power system has shown resilience in certain instances, such as surviving Hurricane Irene, but also vulnerabilities like the failure of PV systems during outages and levee breaches during Hurricane Katrina. Continued investment and diversification of energy sources are needed to strengthen resilience to extreme weather conditions worsened by climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
The power system's resilience in the face of various hurricanes and flooding scenarios has shown both strengths and weaknesses. For example, the fact that a buoy was able to provide an average power of 350 W and survive Hurricane Irene in 2011 demonstrates the durability of certain elements within our power infrastructure. However, instances such as the inadequacy of the grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems during power outages, or the failure of the New Orleans levees during Hurricane Katrina, reveal vulnerabilities. Furthermore, extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, continue to test the robustness of our energy systems. The Texas power grid crisis during a freeze further spotlights the potential for disasters in the face of unexpected weather patterns. Clearly, there is a need for continued investment in strengthening the grid and diversifying energy sources including solar power systems, which require storage solutions to address intermittency.