It has been almost a year after Tropical Storm Irene hit New England, leaving trees and power lines down, and many without power. 

Earlier this month, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced that she is seeking to fine NStar $9.7 million for "failed responses" in both Irene and "Snowtober" (which NStar has challenged). 

Nstar released a statement on the same day disagreeing with Coakley's assessment, saying that "Nstar Electric customers fared better than others in Massachusetts and throughout New England."

In the statement, Werner Schweiger, President of NSTAR Electric said that all storms are opportunities to "identify areas of improvement," but that "we have not reached a stage where technology is resistant to storm damage.”

So, what about the next storm? According to a press release from National Grid, another company that provides electricity to some Massachusetts cities and towns, after the storm hit on Aug 28, 2011, the utility company reviewed its storm response procedures and reports improvements. 

See the National Grid video on why service interruptions happen during storms, and what customers can do about it to the right

“We understand and acknowledge that many of our customers and communities were frustrated by the multi-day outages during Irene,” said Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts in the release.  “I want them to know that we are determined to restore their faith in our ability to effectively respond to major storms and we will continue to make improvements in this area.”

For smartphone users, the Red Cross released a Hurricane Preparedness app at the beginning of August, to help users prepare for the next storm that makes it up the coast.

Tropical Storm Irene hit on Aug. 28, 2011, and much of the Boston-area dodged a bullet in terms of storm damage, although a number of Patch readers posted pictures of damaged trees and closed roads in the aftermath.

What did you learn from Irene? Are you more prepared for adverse weather than before the storm? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.