Brutal Winters, Power Outages, Icy Road Conditions? (Omaha, Lincoln: environment, tornadoes)

[hippomg]

We're looking to move to the Omaha/Lincoln area.

I work from home, primarily using the Internet... how brutal are the winters there with regards to power being knocked out on a regular basis during the winter months? How long are your winters, can I expect snowfall from like October through April, or are the brutal snowfalls which affect power outages once or twice throughout the year?

Also, I saw some icy roads video clips and was curious to know if there are "high deaths" from accidents during those months? We're coming from Georgia where it rarely snows, so this change of environment will be huge...

I'm the type of person who has created their own "risks assessment analysis worksheet" in an effort to know if my chances of getting injured,maimed, or killed increases if I move to a particular state... I know it's crazy, but that's how my mind work...

For instance, I wouldn't move to Cali because of earthquakes, and I wouldn't move to Florida because of hurricanes, and I wouldn't move anywhere near where the Mississippi River flows through because of flooding, etc... you get the point.

So... any information would be great! I work from home, so power and an active Internet connection is a must for -- just curious as to what kind of downtime I can expect.

Carl

[camping!]

Eastern Ne is really not bad as far as snow. It does get bitterly cold, and we do have wind all year. But as for snowfall --- maybe a blizzard or two. Icy roads....more frequent but still, generally not an issue. If you bought a house in a newer subdivision where all utilities are buried you will not have a problem with outages. I would have a house with a garage for your car as hail is a more pressing concern.
Good luck!

[Dave1215]

Agree with above. Lived in the Omaha metro 45 years and can count only a handful of times I've personally been without power - key is if your lines are buried or if you are in an older part of town.

Lines buried = very little interuption...
Older part of town = higher interuption due to wind/ice impact on the line itself but also tree limbs falling across the lines in the storm...

I will tell you that the local power districts are very good at restoring power in the metro areas after an outage. Their detection of an outage is immediate and their reaction is very fast.

In regards to your internet availabity, as long as you are in one of the metro areas you should expect 99%+ availability - again, can count only a handful of times that I was without my high-speed connection and all but one ended up being my problem (wire in the house or my wireless router/cable modem).

[ehenningsen]

Cold/Snow - late fall to early spring is 'potential' for snow, although it is not very common and it melts right away, and people love the temperature in later fall or early spring. The temperature would be considered cold in the south, but if you live in a temperate location like Omaha, the relativity factor allows you to adjust to it very well..

December through March - This is the time period that people do a lot of indoorsy things and many people actually get re-aquainted with their families! Seriously is not a bad season, it can get very cold at times, however people here who like the seasons plan around it, we tend to be more indoorsy and do home/family or go to the movies or concert etc during this time of the year. Snow still isn't really much of a factor except for 1 or 2 times a year, and the really bad stuff where you worry about power/internet access is like once a decade.

If you like the four seasons, and you have the ability to think for yourself, there is entertainment and fun all year round, some of it is based off of snow too..

[hippomg]

Thank you all for the great information... it's sincerely appreciated.

Just another question. How often do you all get tornadoes out there, I didn't realize you Nebraska was considered part of "tornado alley"? Do the homes have basements? I know along the cost and in other parts of the country, basements are not built with the houses?

Thanks!

[ShawJ]

Originally Posted by hippomg

Thank you all for the great information... it's sincerely appreciated.

Just another question. How often do you all get tornadoes out there, I didn't realize you Nebraska was considered part of "tornado alley"? Do the homes have basements? I know along the cost and in other parts of the country, basements are not built with the houses?

Thanks!

Before this year, the last time a tornado came to Omaha was in 1975. This year has been a bit more active with tornadoes. We had two collide together and hit an area known as "Millard." Some decent damage, but no deaths.

Usually tornadoes aren't to worry about in Omaha. We get some good storms in the summer months, but tornadoes rarely make it and/or harm Omaha (knock on wood?). I definitely wouldn't let the fear of tornadoes harm you opinion on Omaha. I can't speak for Lincoln, but I'm sure it's about the same.

As far as winter goes, they aren't that bad. November is when the first real threat for snow arrives. If it falls in this month, it will usually only be a dusting and will melt away quickly. Later December - Early March are the main months where snow comes. Omaha usually gets one or two good snowfalls a year (8-10"). Late march is similar to November. I live in a house that is about 100 years old in an older neighborhood. I can't remember the last time our power went out.

[aerahrtlu]

Yeah. most houses have basements.
A tornado in Lincoln is extremely rare. We are located in a valley, so most tornadoes and horrible storms go over us.

[Dave1215]

Remember almost every state has tornado's... as far as that "tornado alley" the real part of nebraska that is in the northern tip of it is the southern counties east of Lincoln south of the I-80... On a map look at the area between York and Grand Island, especially Hall County... that gives you a better idea of the part that is more of the traditional "tornado alley" that spreads south into Kansas and Oklahoma.

Agree with all of the above - I have lived here all my life and saw both the '75 tornado and the '08 Millard tornado...

[ehenningsen]

yeah, the heart of tornado alley include central and south central nebraska, even though we have more rain and storms here in Omaha than you see in most of the state (based off of annual rainfall averages), our tornado whether is about 1/3 of central Nebraska..

That is not to say that we don't have them, because we are still within the area of tornado alley, but the worst of it is west and southwest of here..

[hippomg]

Thanks for the incredible information.

We've all but decided that Omaha/Lincoln area is where we're going to move. We're planning a trip within the next 1-2 weeks, afterwhich, we plan to move immediately once we find a place.

Are there a bunch of rentals available there (houses), and where can I look to find a listing of online rentals in the Omaha/Lincoln area? I tried using your newspaper (online edition) and could find anything.

We have four children with number five coming along in September. So between the wife and myself, it'll be seven of us. So we're going to need a decent size place in a nice neighborhood that has a bunch of kids so our kids will keep busy. My kids are 16 months, 6, 8, and 10.

Any recommendations or place online where I can look at available rentals? Also, who provides the power, cable tv, Internet, and are most homes heated by gas or electric?

We're looking to rent the first 12-18 months before buying so we can look and decide exactly where we'll live in the area.

Thanks a bunch!
Carl