12:15 a.m., May 13, 2023
As we move into the early morning hours, we have nearly 400 power outages scattered across several counties. The majority are in Douglas County. These types of weather-related outages can make for a lengthier, more tedious restoration process. That’s because, as opposed to some outages where one repair restores power to many, the many individual repairs needed right now only restore a small number of customers at a time. Our customers will continue to work through the night to bring power back as quickly as safely possible.
9:30 p.m., May 12, 2023 We now have nearly 450 power outages with nearly 350 of those in Douglas County, with lightning increasing in the area.
We remind customers who experience service disruptions to report them online or by calling 1-800-554-OPPD (6773), so we are aware and can respond.
7:30 p.m. Our crews are responding to more than 100 scattered power outages right now. They are predominently in Dodge and Saunders Counties. However, we’ve seen a few pop up in other areas, as well. We will continue to monitor conditions and respond to service disruptions.
1:30 p.m. OPPD crews are preparing for severe weather expected to kick up within our service territory between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. We could see heavy rain, large hail, and even tornadoes this evening.
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Cass, Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, Douglas, Gage, Johnson, Lancaster, Madison, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Platte, Richardson, Sarpy, Saunders, Stanton, and Washington Counties in Nebraska, as well as Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomeray, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties in Iowa, effective until 9 p.m.
We are holding over additional crews, past their usual shifts today, so that we are prepared to respond in the event of power outages. Our crews are holding safety briefings and ensuring our trucks are maintained, gassed up, and ready to go if needed.
If you experience an outage, please report it online or by calling 1-800-554-OPPD (6773), so that we are aware of the disruption. If you do not already have it, the free OPPDConnect app is an easy way to report outages and view the latest restoration updates.
It’s a good idea to prepare for the possibility of power outages ahead of time by ensuring all portable electronic devices, such as laptops and phones, are charged ahead of time. Also be sure to know where your emergency release on your garage door is, if you have an automatic opener, so that you can still access your car during a power outage. We have more tips available here.
OPPD wants to remind customers to stay safe during severe weather events. If you should encounter downed power lines, always assume they are LIVE, high-voltage and extremely dangerous. Stay far back and call 911 to report the hazard.
We will post more information and updates here throughout this weather event as conditions may warrant.
