Lightning, hail, wind and snow. Some of OPPD’s 10 biggest storms had the ability to wreak havoc on power lines. But some storms are more destructive than others.
For example, while the historic blizzard of 1975 claimed 13 lives and crippled many parts of OPPD’s service territory, it didn’t even rank in the Top 10 in terms of outage numbers. Neither does the May, 1975 tornado that ripped through the center of the city.
This year’s March 19 storm, a blizzard that raged for eight hours through eastern Nebraska, is not the largest storm in terms of the numbers of outages, but it’s at the top of the list in terms of damage to the utility’s infrastructure.
In the infographic below, learn more about that storm and the rest of the Top 10 biggest storms in OPPD’s history.


Jodi Baker contributes stories to The Wire in addition to serving as a media liaison for OPPD. She was a reporter, working for news stations from her hometown of Omaha to San Diego, prior to joining the utility in 2013. Jodi has a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, with a minor in Criminal Justice. She’s married with two older children and two younger dogs – Shi Tzu mixes. She loves watching her daughter’s track meets, going to concerts with her husband Dave, who used to co-host a local music video program, and traveling whenever possible.
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