Resources for Residents Affected by July 31 Storm

Power Outages or Downed Power Lines

Residents may report outages or downed power lines at 888-365-2412 or LES.com/report.

Downed Trees

• For trees blocking City streets or sidewalks, contact the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) non-emergency number, 402-441-6000. Do NOT call 911. LPD is keeping a list of areas and reporting those to the Community Forestry crews.
• For other damage to public trees between the curb and sidewalk, contact the Parks and Recreation Community Forestry Section at 402-441-7847, ext. 0. Voice mail is available at this number, and residents are encouraged to provide their name, address, phone number and the nature of the problem.
• Residents can also report damage to street trees at UPLNK.lincoln.ne.gov or by using the UPLNK app.

Residents are also advised to watch for broken limbs that may still be hanging in trees. These can cause injury or damage when they fall.

Tree debris on private property is the responsibility of the property owner. For tree debris on private properties, residents can contact their refuse haulers or take the debris to one of these locations:

• The City North 48th Street Transfer Station, 5101 N. 48th St. Hours are 6:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 6:45 a.m. to noon Sundays. Regular disposal charges and fees apply. To avoid an extra charge, residents must cover and secure their loads. For more information, visit lincoln.ne.gov/Landfill.
• Hofeling Enterprises, 2200 S. Folsom Court. Disposal fees are $10 for a pickup truck load and $20 for a trailer. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Parks and Recreation tree debris collection sites were closed on Monday, August 19 so contractual and City crews would have enough space to grind and chip the large brush piles before hauling away the remaining debris.

Mulch from the grinding process will be removed from the identified debris collection sites over the next few weeks. Within the mulch there are larger pieces of wood chips, leaves, and sticks that are not suitable for landscaping.

The locations for the free mulch are:

• Fleming Fields Parking Lot, 31st Street and Leighton Avenue
• Holmes Park Parking Lot,  70th Street and Normal Boulevard
• Star City Shores Parking Lot, 27th Street and Nebraska Parkway (previously named Nebraska Highway 2

Food Safety

Refrigerated or frozen foods may not be safe to eat after a power outage. For Lincoln area residents and businesses without power, please use caution before eating or preparing perishable foods:

• During a power outage, refrigerated food will only stay safe for up to four hours. Frozen foods can be kept up to 48 hours in a full freezer or up to 24 hours if the freezer is half full.
• Throw out refrigerated food after four hours without power.
• Any food with an unusual smell, color or texture should be thrown out.
• You can safely refreeze frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees or below.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

If you have questions about food safety, contact the Health Department's Food Safety Program at 402-441-6280. For more information about food safety after a power outage, visit Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency | Food Safety | CDC.

Staying Cool

Those without air conditioning may consider going to a friend or relative's house to stay cool. Residents can also cool off during regular business hours at libraries, recreation centers and senior centers (for adults 60 and older), or other public locations such as shopping malls and theaters.