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    • Latest Storm Slows OPPD Save Email Print
    Wednesday thunderstorm causes additional outages
    Posted: 9:08 AM Jul 2, 2008
     Last Updated: 11:45 PM Jul 2, 2008
     Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com
    22 comments
    A | A | A

    The thunderstorm that passed through the metro late Wednesday afternoon resulted in 1,200 new power outages. Omaha Public Power District officials say the total number of customers without power was around 2,300 as of Wednesday night.

    Despite the setback, OPPD still expects to complete the final service restorations some time on Saturday, barring any further interference
    from Mother Nature.

    Before Wednesday’s storm hit, only one house south of Rosenblatt Stadium at 10th and Bancroft remained without power. After Friday's storm, residents had lost power for about a day before it was restored.

    Neighbors got another scare Wednesday after severe weather moved through, knocking out their power for the second time in a week. OPPD was working to restore power to the area again.

    Residents say they don't want another night in the heat. "We work hard all day and then we get off and want to sit down in a nice, cool house,” says Robert Jacobs. “No power, so there's not going to be a cool house. That's the way it is."

    Friday's storm and its 115 mph winds initially left about 126,000 OPPD customers in and around Omaha without power.

    The National Weather Service released a map Wednesday charting the path of the June 27th storm as it marched through Omaha. Click here to view.

    The map marks areas with winds ranging from 70 to 90 mph and pockets of wind exceeding 90 mph. The downtown Omaha area was among those hit by the strongest winds.
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    Posted by: to Gretna on Jul 4, 2008 at 08:33 AM
    I think you need to LEARN how to READ & UNDERSTAND English. Nowhere in my comments did I say the OPPD workers were not working hard. My comments dealt with poor planning by the management of OPPD as a root cause for the slow response. After the 1997 snowstorm, a private consultant, hired by OPPD, determined "that OPPD could have restored power to customers more quickly if it had done a better job of assessing the damage and called in more outside help." Per Mike Jones, an OPPD spokesman, OPPD took 1 ½ DAYS to assess the damage BEFORE CALLING in all the OUTSIDE HELP!!! Therefore, OPPD failed to follow these recommendations, thereby resulting in my comments about OPPD failing to timely restoring power.
    Posted by: Mary O. on Jul 3, 2008 at 10:39 PM
    I was w/o power for 3 days... the longest I've ever gone w/o power in my 41 years; however, I didn't complain. The first 3 nights a cool breeze blew in my windows. I used candles & a flashlight to make my way around the house. And I actually got to bed at a decent hr because I wasn't screwing around on the computer. On Saturday dear friends asked if my dog & I needed a place to stay, though I declined because of the cool breeze. On Sunday, one of those friends met me for breakfast & paid for my meal, let me do laundry at their house & lent me a cooler for milk & water. I figured I, my family, my neighbors & friends were all alive & well... & these 3 days brought us closer. Spoiled food can be replaced (& paid for thru homeowner's insurance). There are plenty of stores & restaurants w/ready-to-eat food. And what's a couple of bad hair days? I felt very blessed and truly appreciated what I temporarily lost. Realize there are lessons & opportunities in everything we experience.
    Posted by: to "S" & "Mark" on Jul 3, 2008 at 05:07 PM
    Do you have ANY idea how long these guys have been out working??? There WERE crews out immediately after the severe weather was out of Omaha starting on repairs!!! My husband is a lineman for OPPD and he goes out in ALL kinds of terrible, DANGEROUS weather to make sure YOUR powere gets turned back on as fast as possible, and then you have the nerve to badmouth them because they aren't doing it fast enough? Why don't you try it once before spreading your nasty comments around!
    Posted by: J on Jul 3, 2008 at 01:10 PM
    Our neighbor found a non-electric chain saw and a friend, and dived into our large tree lying across our yard and over the garage -- not knowing if they'd be paid. They did what they could safely do (40 hours or so). Hubby asked, what do we do now? I sang, "He (God) is able ... to do what conserns me today" After a nap, and angel appeared at our door, with yellow shirt and cap, offering to bring the S Baptist Emergency Relief crew with professional equipment to finish the tree and put it on the curb. God worked quickly, and so did they. Whew! What a blessing.
    Posted by: joann on Jul 3, 2008 at 11:59 AM
    well I see some of the citzens from Opityme are at it again. To S if the problem is that bad with your parents get off your whiny butt and call the red cross or the salvation army. Do you really think that OPPD has a list of the ages of the people without power. Of course you do.(roll eyes) Please explain how you were able to post to the net. Your FIRST concern should have been your parents and finding a place for them to stay. To Mark OPPD did have a plan but hello--in order to get to the downed wires you had to clear the blocked streets! Sheesh what a concept To Sandy--and exactly who would you have sued if the power line had been live?? Good thing our country isn't being founded now because it would most certainly fail. People expect instant service in this instant world. This is the midwest--where storms can form at any time. Be prepared either get a generator or lots of candles, or flashlights. Learn to help your neighbor instead of being a whiney me first
    Posted by: thanks OPPD!! on Jul 3, 2008 at 10:29 AM
    Thanks to OPPD to doing such a fantastic job! We were without power for 45 hours. No, it wasn't fun but it certainly wasn't OPPD's fault that the storm came through. Maybe I should blame them for yanking my tree down too. Oh, the audacity...
    Posted by: Sandy on Jul 3, 2008 at 10:20 AM
    I live outside of Vally and have been without power since Friday and I know that OPPD is working hard at getting the power on.BUT I live in the country I had 2 roads in and out my house and both were blocked by power lines so there was no way out and their solution was to put a barracade near the power pole. I ask, why didn't they just move the pole out of the road so that we could get out and in. If there had been an emergency the only way in would have been helicopter, seriously. Finally we ended up driving over power lines just to get to our homes now how dangerous is that!!
    Posted by: jan on Jul 3, 2008 at 09:01 AM
    Tell me the fireman of Omaha have the most dangerous job--OPPD men are out there in all kinds of weather--lightning, falling objects, ice storms, rain, snow, whatever not complaining just getting the job done.
    Posted by: Mark on Jul 3, 2008 at 07:37 AM
    Why should we praise OPPD? OPPD should have already had a disaster plan in advance in place for situations like this. If they did, they would have been able to mobilize repair crews immediately. OPPD said they had to "evaluate" the outages, which took more than 1 day! What needs to be evaluated? OPPD has an automated call in service to report power outages, so repair crews should have been dispatched immediately, not a day later. OPPD said they learned from the snowstorm of 1997, but based on the fact that people still don't have power almost a week after this past storm, I don't think OPPD learned anything. I give them a grade of an "F"
    Posted by: Lori on Jul 2, 2008 at 11:07 PM
    Back in the "olden days" (or so I am told) people slept outside when they didn't have A/C (or on screened-in porches, which is why older homes have them). Pitch a tent, enjoy the fresh air and RELAX. While we didn't lose power at all, I would have been ready to sleep outside in a tent...heck, the GAS didn't go out so I could still go inside and take a shower! Can't WAIT to get into the great outdoors next week and sleep like a baby...fresh air does wonders for the soul. And maybe "S" should have invited his mother to stay at HIS house. Since he has Internet, and all.
    Posted by: LSS on Jul 2, 2008 at 08:35 PM
    OPPD are doing the best that they can...life on lifes terms isn't always comfortable. To S in Little Italy...I understand your concern for your mother so why don't you go and buy her a generator! Get into the solution rather than the problem!
    Posted by: B on Jul 2, 2008 at 07:16 PM
    My brother (who works for OPPD) worked 45 1/2 hours last Saturday and Sunday. I have not talked to him yet this week because he's been out WORKING. They do what they can, as fast as they can, as safely as they can with the manpower they have. In my opinion OPPD has a long standing history and tradition of excellent service and customer care. While no power may be an inconvenience to you - be thankful it's not 100 degrees out and be thankful that there are individuals who work 40 hours in 2 days, away from their families trying to make things for you better.
    Posted by: Keith on Jul 2, 2008 at 07:03 PM
    Were still without power too. Internet? Been at the library. Trying to sleep in the heat sux. Saturday can't come soon enough.
    Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 2, 2008 at 06:13 PM
    THANKS OPPD AND KANSAS CITY LIGHTS AND POWER. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
    Posted by: Jim on Jul 2, 2008 at 04:56 PM
    to "S": kwitcherbellyachin, grab your insulated gloves and a ladder and hook your house back up to the grid. Better yet, sue your neighbor for the damage his tree caused to your lifestyle. OPPD is doing all they can 24/7 to get all of Omaha back on line, from executives on down.
    Posted by: steve on Jul 2, 2008 at 04:28 PM
    oppd does not know how old the people are without power both my great aunt and grandmother are over 90 and just got power so maybe you should of got a hotel and you and your parent stayed there oppd is one of the top leaders in storm recovery people from around the country come here to tour there crisis center so stop complaining
    Posted by: Bill on Jul 2, 2008 at 04:15 PM
    We were one of the lucky ones, 22 hours without power. We have had a generator for a number of years and we are able to keep our refrigerator and freezer going. If it got too hot, we went to our basement where it is about 15 degrees cooler. My advice is to get a generator, they aren't that expensive. Forget the cable tv and the internet.
    Posted by: Taylor on Jul 2, 2008 at 03:57 PM
    This comment is to S.. Do you really think that you are the only person that is still without power? Do you really think that OPPD evolves around you? Wow you people are so inconsiderate sure go ahead blame it on OPPD its there fault we got a storm in the first place right and its god fault for putting trees on this earth one word "shutup" and if it was that big of deal go else where go to a friends house or someone else in your family better yet go to your neighbors LOL wait let me guess you have no friends or family right?
    Posted by: to "S" on Jul 2, 2008 at 03:02 PM
    Wow. I'm sure it sucks to still be w/o power BUT I'm pretty sure OPPD is doing all they can. They are working area by area, not house by house. I'm sorry, really I am your w/o power still and I'd be frustrated too but its not like OPPD said "hey lets make so and so wait".
    Posted by: To S on Jul 2, 2008 at 02:50 PM
    Go and ask your neighbor if your parent can sit in their AC. Second if you are 5 days without power - how can you get internet??? How do you think your grandparents lived without AC??? It's not like the temps outside have been that unbearable. I have several family members that work for OPPD and they are working 16 hours a day with 8 hours off. most people work 8 hours with 16 off. I am sorry you are still without power but be creative. OPPD you did a great job!!!
    Posted by: quit complaining on Jul 2, 2008 at 12:46 PM
    When you are doing their jobs and working 15 hour days, you can complain...get your application at city hall!
    Posted by: S on Jul 2, 2008 at 10:35 AM
    In my opinion I am NOT going to praise OPPD. We are in day 5 and still NO power. I would of thought they would be more considerate of the elderly, but age doesn't matter to them. I have a 85 year old parent with a severe heart problem and other medical issues and all they can say is they are sorry. That just doesn't cut it. It wasn't even OUR tree that pulled the wire from our house, it was our neighbors tree and they are sitting in an air-conditioned home. It seems like you either have to be on the news or near death to get OPPD's attention.. OPPD,, you stink!!!
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