The Salvation Army Assisting Metro Omaha Residents Affected by July 31 Windstorm
The Salvation Army is working to support the metro Omaha community in the wake of another disaster during a summer that has seen an unusual number of devastating weather events.
On Wednesday, July 31, local temperatures soared up to 94 degrees – but then late in the afternoon, the hot, humid air mass collided with a surface cold front. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in Omaha was 89 degrees at 5:52 p.m. with wind speeds of 10 mph – but at 6:09 p.m., the temperature immediately fell to 67 degrees and the wind speeds hit 61 mph, with gusts reaching 90 mph as rains soaked the ground.
The high winds wrought havoc across the city, mainly in the form of widespread tree damage. Many trees were ripped right out of the ground, falling onto cars, homes, power lines, and other property. More than 200,000 OPPD customers experienced power outages the evening of the storm.
Nearly a week later, some 14,000 customers remained without power as OPPD crews kept working around the clock to restore everyone’s electricity — a critically important effort, especially since the storm fell within a dayslong heatwave that saw Omaha temperatures consistently hit the high 90s.
The Salvation Army began its disaster-relief effort in the immediate wake of the storm, opening cooling centers at its Kroc Center, North Corps, and Citadel locations to provide respite to those who’d lost power and air conditioning in their homes. Mobile food services teams deployed to storm-impacted areas, serving hundreds of meals and drinks in neighborhoods including Benson, Midtown, and Montclair (near 120th and W. Center Rd.).
As of this writing, Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services teams are assessing the community needs daily and preparing a specific plan for support each day. This support will continue as long as it is needed.