City Advises Residents on Tree Debris and Downed Power Lines

Tree down at 35th and van Dorn – provided to 10/11 NOW by Cindy Boeselager

(KFOR NEWS December 16, 2021) The Parks and Recreation Department, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department and Lincoln Electric System are advising residents to report street tree damage, debris in the right of way, and downed power lines following Wednesday’s storms.

Community Forestry crews will prioritize removal of trees and limbs from arterial streets. Lincoln Transportation and Utility crews are also standing by to assist with debris removal if necessary. The City reminds residents how to report downed trees and power lines:

For trees blocking City streets or sidewalks, contact the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) non-emergency number, 402-441-6000. Do NOT call 911. LPD keeps a list of damage reports and sends them to the Community Forestry Division.
For other damage to other public trees between the curb and sidewalk, contact the Community Forestry Division at 402-441-7847, ext. 0. Voicemail 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.
Lincoln Electric System urges residents to stay away from downed power lines. Report any damaged equipment or downed lines to LES immediately at 1-888-365-2412 or les.com/report-outage. The outage map can be found at https://www.les.com/outage-center.

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 this location:

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 (search: landfill).