Thousands of Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) customers were left without electricity early Tuesday due to a widespread outage in the metro area.
At its peak, the outage affected approximately 3,780 customers, including 2,651 in Sarpy County and 1,129 in Douglas County, according to OPPD’s outage map.
Most Sarpy County customers had power restored early Tuesday. As of 10 a.m., 214 customers in Douglas County and four in Sarpy County remained without service.
In an update, OPPD reported that a burnt pole on a distribution line contributed to an outage affecting nearly 600 customers. Power restoration in the area of L Street and the I-80 interchange was estimated for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Another damaged pole near Bondesson Street and Blair High Road left more than 900 customers without electricity. Service was restored around 5 a.m., with full restoration expected by 1 p.m.
Due to the outage, Food Bank for the Heartland canceled its 1 p.m. volunteer shift as OPPD crews worked to restore power to the building.
Traffic Signals Affected
The outage also caused several traffic signals to stop working near the Douglas and Sarpy County line, including:
- 72nd and Harrison
- 84th and Harrison
- 72nd and Giles
Drivers are urged to treat these intersections as all-way stops until power is fully restored.
More Power Concerns as Winter Weather Approaches
OPPD is preparing for potential power disruptions as strong winds and snow are expected to move into the Omaha metro Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Residents are hoping to avoid a repeat of last summer’s major outages, while some are already making preparations for the incoming storm.
This is a developing story. Stay with Nebraska News for updates.
