Omaha storm recovery: OPPD calls outage historical [Video]

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The largest blackout in OPPD’s history came from Wednesday night’s storm.

At its peak, officials said almost 220,000 homes and businesses lost power. That tops the previous record from July 2021, when around 188,000 customers were left in the dark.

OPPD said during an update with the city Thursday morning that it could take seven to eight days to restore power for all customers, similar to how it went in 2021. But unlike in 2021, more utility companies from neighboring districts are able to help out with the recovery efforts.

“We have damage assessment teams out looking and mobilizing on damage in the areas,” said utilities coordinator Wyndle Young. “I should probably have a better idea of what the restoration time looks like here in the coming days.”

OPPD said the storm downed more than just power lines. It also damaged equipment at substations, transmission …