LINCOLN—As of 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1, approximately 6,700 customers in the Lincoln Electric System service territory were without power due to severe weather.
Rain, lightning and damaging winds caused widespread power outages throughout Lincoln and surrounding areas on the evening of July 31, resulting in more than 30,000 customers experiencing power outages at the situation's peak.
LES crews worked overnight to assess damage quickly and safely restore as much service as possible. All additional and qualified LES team members have paused their regular job duties and are assisting in the field as needed. Mutual aid assistance has been requested, and 14 crew members from Hastings and Grand Island are expected to arrive in the capital city before 12 p.m. to help with restoration and repairs.
The most prominent cause of the widespread outages is downed power lines. As crews restore power, it's possible that downed lines may become re-energized. Remain a bus's distance away from any downed lines, and customers should treat fallen wires and anything touching those wires as though they are energized. If lines begin sparking or arcing, immediately call 9-1-1.
LES follows a restoration plan, found at LES.com/Outage-Education, to restore power to emergency services and facilities critical to public health and safety, such as hospitals and fire departments, first. Then, power is restored by focusing on the largest impact areas first. As of 4 a.m., LES had restored high-voltage power lines that deliver electricity to thousands of customers, decreasing outages from 30,000 at the beginning of the storm to just under 7,000. Individual homes and businesses are currently being assessed and repaired. Restoration efforts will continue until the community is fully restored.
Report outages or downed power lines at 888.365.2412 or LES.com/Report. LES will continue providing updates through its social media channels.