Thousands left without power across eastern Nebraska after powerful storm
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — Tens of thousands of people were left without power across Lincoln and neighboring communities Saturday morning.
As of 1:28 p.m, roughly 14,000 Lincoln Electric System customers and about 5,300 customers with Norris Public Power District were without power.
As of 8:45 p.m., Norris Public Power District reported around 2,600 customers without power and Lincoln Electric System has just over 7,000 outages.
Nebraska Public Power District only reported a little over 1,000 customers without power. Further east, the Omaha Public Power District reported nearly 25,000 people without power.
A severe thunderstorm with high winds, including a gust recorded at 91 miles per hour, blew through Lincoln and the surrounding areas early Saturday morning.
Paul Crist, Vice President of Energy Delivery for LES, spoke with 10/11 Saturday afternoon, saying the bulk of the damage across Lincoln is from trees falling on power lines.
“We’re still trying to get a good assessment of everything,” Crist said. “We’ve got about 122 folks working out in the field trying to get through all the big outages where we can.”
He said they are also calling in crews from across the state, including Grand Island, to help make repairs.
Crist said there’s no timeline on when power will be back on, but it’s looking like it will take into Sunday evening.
“The biggest areas are out in the Air Park area and then down around 27th and Highway 2 up until A street in those areas,” Crist said. “In those areas there’s a lot of mature trees and those are the ones that are right now, on a lot of lines.”
Crist asked that anyone with wires down in their area stay away and wait for LES to arrive.
Kenzie Brueggemann, Manager of Customer Services for Norris Public Power District said they have significant damage in their area. She said the sub-transmission line was hit during the storm and a top priority for repair. Brueggeman described it as the “backbone” of their system.
Brueggeman said 70 people are working to assess damage and restore power to the areas of Seward County, Saline County and Western and Northern Lancaster County. They’ve also called for mutual aid.
There’s no timeline on when repairs in the Norris Public Power District will be complete.
Brueggeman said the damage now is in many of the same areas impacted in a strong blizzard that destroyed power poles last March.
“It’s not normal, we did not think we’d be repairing the same areas again,” she said.
Crist also commented on the number of storms that have caused major outages in the last year, including the blizzard in March and the windstorm from July 31, 2024.
“These three were probably the biggest ones we’ve had over probably the last 20 years,” Crist said.
You can check power outage totals at the links below:
Nebraska Public Power District
Gov. Jim Pillen said he’s been briefed by his emergency management team. He says they are assessing reports of injuries, including at several state recreation areas.
Safety Reminders for People Without Power
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is issuing safety reminders for residents without power.
Carbon Monoxide
Reminder to residents to take precautions to protect themselves from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning during severe weather and power outages.
- Check CO and smoke alarms to ensure they are working property. Make sure battery-powered or battery back-up CO and smoke detectors are installed on every level and inside each bedroom of your home.
- Never operate a portable generator inside any indoor space, including garages or sheds. Portable generators should be operated at least 20 feet away from homes.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas and can cause people to become unconscious or too weak to escape before they experience other symptoms of CO poisoning such as nausea, dizziness, sleepiness, lethargy, difficulty breathing, and seizures.
If you suspect that you are experiencing CO poisoning symptoms, get fresh air immediately. Leave the home and call 911.
Staying Cool
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high 80s today. If you’re without air conditioning, consider going to a friend or relative’s house to stay cool. Residents can also cool off at one of the four city cooling centers and the American Red Cross will be staging a reception center at the F Street Community Center for those who have been displaced or need assistance with recovery planning.
The following cooling center locations will be open Saturday, August 9.
- Anderson Branch Public Library (3635 Touzalin Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68507) 402-441-8540
Hours of Operation 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Bennett Martin Public Library (136 S 14th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508) 402-441-8500
Hours of Operation 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Victory Park Senior Center (600 S. 70th Street, Lincoln NE 68510) 402-441-7070.
Hours of Operation 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- F Street Community Center (1225 F Street, Lincoln, NE 68508) 402-441-7951
Hours of Operation 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Food Safety
Refrigerated or frozen foods may not be safe to eat after a power outage. For Lincoln area residents and businesses without power, please use caution before eating or preparing perishable foods:
- During a power outage, refrigerated food will only stay safe for up to four hours. Frozen foods can be kept up to 48 hours in a full freezer or up to 24 hours if the freezer is half full.
- Throw out refrigerated food after four hours without power.
- Any food with an unusual smell, color or texture should be thrown out.
- You can safely refreeze frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees or below.
- When in doubt, throw it out.
For more information about food safety after a power outage, go to Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency | Food Safety | CDC.
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