Debris removal delays Omaha trash pickups; OPPD power outages drop below 2,000

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Starting the day with about 5,600 customer outages, OPPD crews had less than 2,000 customers without power by 7 p.m. Thursday.

In a news conference Thursday morning, city officials asked residents to be patient and remain flexible as city crews worked to clear debris.

“It’s all hands on deck right now,” Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said.

The mayor encouraged residents to take debris to the city’s four pick-up sites, which are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Friday, July 23. Mulching is happening at two of the sites, and the city is working to do so at two more sites.

Residents can also get their large limbs to the curb by Monday for pick up by city crews.

Stothert said tree and debris removal services have slowed Omaha trash pick-ups. As a result, FCC would be operating one or two days behind in some areas as it continues picking up debris along with curbside collection, she said, noting that yard waste bags for debris cleanup don’t have to have the stickers normally required for such pick-ups.

Residents are asked to “be patient” and leave their carts out, the mayor said, noting that FCC expects all trash and recycling will be picked up by Friday and all yard waste will be collected by Saturday.

Yard debris left curbside does need to be bundled with yarn or twine and should be 4 feet or less with a diameter of 6 inches or less so that it weighs about 40 pounds, making it manageable for FCC crews.

“If you can’t pick it up, we can’t pick it up,” Stothert said.

Those requiring assistance with that, such as the elderly or people with disabilities, are advised to call 211 for help. A local nonprofit is assisting the city with that support, coming “with personnel and chainsaws” to help get large debris to the curb. Volunteers may be needed, Omaha Public Works Director Bob Stubb said, promising the city would be releasing more information about the nonprofit.

Meanwhile, the city has adjusted its plan for pick-up crews citing efficiency and following the model used for snow removal rather than following the FCC schedule. The mayor said those crews will prioritize clearing large debris from 42 major boulevards on Friday and Saturday.

On Monday, four-person crews will begin focusing on large limb collection. That debris needs to be less than 6 feet long and 100 pounds, “otherwise it becomes almost impossible for us to pick them up.” City officials also asked residents not to block access to curbs with debris that needs picked up, and to keep sidewalks clear.

As the grinder works to turn football fields of debris into smaller pieces of tree, city crews are being reassigned from four departments to assist with clean-up efforts. Visit the 6 News tracker to see where crews have collected debris.

As tons of debris continues to come into metro-area drop-off locations, 6 News caught up with Tyler Godinez of Omaha at Hefflinger Park. He said he’s made about 25 trips there so far.

But unlike most everyone else at the drop-off, Godinez has a hydraulics set-up, so he doesn’t have to exert the same energy it took to put the branches into the trailer to get them out.

“It’s pretty nice. Most people have to pull the brush out,” he said. “A good ol’ button does the trick.”

Application for disaster funds

Also on Thursday, the mayor reiterated details about the application for disaster recovery submitted by Douglas County officials on Wednesday.

“That would be first in a series of steps that we will take to apply for state and federal aid to reimburse local governments for the costs associated with the storm damage,” Stothert said.

She said there was a minimum need of about $2 million that is required for such an application, “and we’ve far exceeded that.”

OPPD crews continue work on power restoration

Stothert commended work by Omaha Public Power District crews and said the city is working to coordinate support of the agencies involved.

Just after 7 p.m., the number of outages on the utility’s website had fallen below 2,000, showing 1,644 customers in Douglas County without power, and 195 in Sarpy County.

In its update at 3:45 p.m., OPPD stated that more than 900 crew members were continuing to work on restoring power around the Omaha-metro to about 3,700 customers still without electricity at that time.

OPPD said Thursday morning that crews had exceeded restoration goals for Wednesday, noting that about 5,600 customers were still without power. At about 11 a.m., OPPD’s outage map showed that 3,882 customers in Douglas County were still affected, down from about 6,000 reported at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday; while Sarpy County had increased from 371 to 424 in the same timeframe.

OPPD also shared information about local resources for those struggling with food loss or preservation:

Watch Thursday’s news conference

Brook Bench, director of the city of Omaha Parks and Recreation, said the clearing of debris at Lake Cunningham is ongoing.

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Digital Producer Kelli Kellogg contributed to this report.

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