Power Outage in Neligh, NE

Tree and power lines reported down in Orchard.

Power lines blown down caused the power to go out in Neligh.

Strong winds up to 50 mph combined with 8 inches of snow reported at Neligh created blizzard conditions midday on the 14th. Visibility in Antelope County was reported to be down to a few feet. Drifts of snow up to 3 to 4 feet were reported in rural areas of Antelope County. Power poles were snapped in some areas due to stress from icing of the lines. Two accidents were reported in the county.

The strong non-thunderstorm winds were responsible for some tree and power line damage.

A prolonged winter storm/blizzard hit the area closing many roads and highways and bringing most traffic to a standstill for a few days. Snowfall from the storm began Christmas Eve morning and lasted well into the 26th with substantial blowing and drifting snow and occasional periods of accumulating snow finally tapering off around midnight on the 27th. Northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts over 45 mph occurred for an extended period during the height of the storm. Total snowfall from the storm was estimated at 12 to 16 inches over much of the county, with 15.5 inches measured in Neligh among the highest reported. The snow and strong winds caused 200 customers in the Oakdale area to lose power for around 3.5 hours Christmas Day.

Freezing rain fell across the area for a while during the evening of March 9th followed by plunging temperatures and gusty North winds as an arctic air mass plunged into the region. Although most ice accumulations were under 1/4 inch, the combination of ice and wind gusts of 40 mph or more caused scattered power outages from around Battle Creek to Elgin. Ten sub-stations were knocked down due to the ice-wind combination causing 3500 customers to lose power.

Thunderstorm winds estimated at around 75 mph downed several trees and knocked down numerous large limbs throughout town. The trees and limbs downed power lines and also blocked a few streets. Some fence damage was also noted.

Freezing rain accumulated between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch over much of the county. The icing downed tree limbs and caused scattered power outages.

Freezing rain accumulated at least 1/2 inch and over 1 inch in some locations on trees, power lines, vehicles and other untreated objects. The weight of the ice, and a mix of light sleet and snow that also fell, caused widespread tree damage and also felled numerous power lines and power poles throughout the county. At least 550 power poles were downed in Antelope county, mainly on east-west roads, with over 1,000 either needing repair or replacement. This caused widespread power outages that continued for at least several days after the event. Fallen trees also caused damage to cars and houses over the area. It was estimated that every tree in Neligh was damaged and 40 to 50 percent of them were damaged so much that they would need to be removed according to the Neligh City Superintendent. An estimated 5 million dollars in damage was done to utility companies from this storm.

Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 70 mph downed a few large trees and tree branches in town causing some vehicle and house damage. A fallen tree hit a power substation knocking the power out to the entire town for around 2 hours.

An apparent tornado tracked across rural areas of northern Antelope county. The tornado uprooted 25 to 30 trees and caused major damage to 100 others. A machine shed was also destroyed and power poles were snapped off.

Strong winds were observed behind a weak band of showers and isolated thunderstorms in parts of northeast Nebraska during the evening of April 23rd. These winds, estimated near 65 mph, produced minor damage to trees and power lines in Wisner.

A prolonged period of intermittent drizzle and rain fell across eastern Nebraska from Tuesday night, 12/19/06, through Thursday 12/21/06. Most of the precipitation remained liquid, except across parts of northeast Nebraska where a period of freezing rain fell. The area especially affected was southern Antelope county near Elgin and Petersburg where ice accumulated over 1/4 inch on trees and power lines. This ice accumulation on the trees caused several of them to fall which downed power lines and caused damage to a few houses and vehicles. The downed power lines resulted in some power outages, especially south of Highway 275. Surface temperatures during much of the event hovered right around freezing. With ground temperatures still relatively warm due to recent mild weather, roads, although slick at times, were not as affected.