How bad have Omaha storms been?

A July 2021 windstorm hit 96 mph at Eppley and left 188,000 customers without power. A July 2024 windstorm knocked out more than 220,000 OPPD customers. A March 2025 ice and blizzard event was called the worst ice event in 34 years by OPPD.

Will OPPD remove the limbs after a storm?

A local relocation guide says that after storm or emergency trimming, the owner handles the limbs. Do not count on the utility to clear wood from your yard.

Does homeowners insurance cover removing a fallen tree?

Often only if the tree hits an insured structure, and removal coverage is commonly capped at a few hundred to about a thousand dollars. Check your declarations page.

How do I avoid storm chasers?

Be wary of door-to-door crews and anyone asking for full payment up front. Ask for proof of insurance and an Omaha arborist license, and get a written estimate.

Tree Storm Cleanup in Omaha: Windstorms, Ice, and Debris

Call (531) 227-5581

Omaha homeowners have lived through enough storms to know the pattern: wind or ice comes through, trees come down, and crews are hard to find for days. Planning for that helps.

What recent Omaha storms looked like

July 9 to 10, 2021: a windstorm produced a 96 mph gust at Eppley Airfield, tied for the strongest on record there. About 188,000 customers lost power, OPPD’s biggest outage at that time, with trees and lines down across the metro.
July 31, 2024: gusts of 60 to 90 mph left more than 220,000 OPPD customers out. By August 19 the city estimated that roughly 37 percent of the storm debris had been picked up.
March 2025: a blizzard and ice event that OPPD called the worst ice event in 34 years. Peak outages were revised to about 106,000, and fallen trees slowed restoration.
October 1997: heavy, wet snow fell on trees still in leaf and caused immense damage and outages across the city.

The lesson is that a weak, split, or already dead tree gets tested by the next storm, not the last one.

Safety first

Stay away from anything touching a downed line. Treat every line as live and call OPPD’s outage line (1-800-554-6773) or 911.
Do not cut a tree that is under tension, resting on a roof, or tangled in other limbs. That is professional work.
Photograph the damage before anything is moved.

Insurance

Homeowners insurance often pays for tree removal only when the tree damages an insured structure, and the removal portion is commonly capped at a few hundred dollars to about a thousand. Limits vary by policy, so read your declarations page and call your insurer before you hire anyone. If a neighbor’s tree falls on your house, photograph it, notify your insurer first, protect the property, and then talk to your neighbor.

Debris

After widespread storms, the city has organized debris drop-off sites, such as the 2021 site at Elkhorn’s Ta Ha Zouka Park. Those programs are not guaranteed after every storm, and the rules change, so check the city’s current announcements. Ask any tree service whether hauling the wood is included in the quote, and do not assume a downed tree can simply be left at the curb.

Avoiding storm chasers

After a big storm, out-of-area crews and door-knockers appear. Slow down:

Ask for proof of insurance (liability and workers’ comp) and an Omaha arborist license.
Get a written estimate stating what is included.
Do not pay in full up front.
If the tree is not an immediate danger, take a day to get a second estimate.

See our hiring checklist and cost guide. If the tree is on or near a line, read OPPD and trees.

Need a local tree service after a storm? Call (531) 227-5581 or send a request below.