Beatrice Board of Public Works hears report on Saturday damaging storm

BEATRICE – All those trees and branches deposited at a drop-off site and at the local landfill from storm damage will be ground up….and Beatrice city officials estimate a cost of between $30,000 and $50,000.

The Beatrice Board of Public Works received an update Wednesday on the recovery and repairs from a Saturday severe storm that blasted Beatrice with winds up to 80 miles-per-hour. Street Superintendent Jason Moore says street and MARS crew members spent a long Saturday in cleanup.

"We called the crew out about 10:30. They worked until about six or seven, that night. What we generally did is we looked for trees that were uprooted across the streets. We started on the highways...we worked onto the higher traffic count streets and worked our way out from there. Generally, we were looking from curb to curb. If there was a branch in the street, we'd put it in the truck and haul if off. Trees, we were pushing them off to the side, so that we could get on to the next one. Monday, any of the trees that we pushed off, we cut them up and hauled them off."

A free drop-off site for branches for residents was established at First and Ella Streets, which was closing at the end of Wednesday. A loader operator has been on site to move branches.  Residents can still take brush to the local landfill, for a $5 charge……for commercial customers, $10.

It was also a busy weekend for electric department crews, who worked all day Saturday to restore power…..which at its peak, saw around 3,000 homes without electricity. By midnight Saturday, the number had been reduced to about 33, according to Electric Superintendent Pat Feist.

"We had everyone back on that we could, probably by ten o'clock Sunday morning. Then it was downed services at houses....and we were running tree calls all day Sunday. I'd like to say it went smooth, but those size of outages never go smoothly because people are without power for a long time. I know it's frustrating for them, but the guys did work well and put in some long hours."

Feist said Norris Public Power District and Nebraska Public Power District crews were swamped handing their own storm problems. The City of Wilber had a daylong power outage because of a high voltage fuse that failed.

BPW member Craig Zarybnicky praised the quick response of public works crews during the storm.  "I was out an hour after the storm and I saw three city trucks. This is a Saturday and they're off work."

An automated metering system used by the city tells electric crews immediately where power has been lost.