Lessons learned: Windstorm devastation “unlike any other other” for OPPD [Video]

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Life for hundreds of thousands of us intersects with Omaha Public Power District. So, its decisions and direction are important.

3 News Now’s Mary Nelson wanted to speak in-depth with President and CEO Javier Fernandez on the heels of such an extraordinary storm season, and, at a time of never-before-seen growth for the Omaha area.

This story is the first in a series of five. In which, Fernandez reflects on storm recovery in 2021 and this summer.

Continue reading for the broadcast transcript.

Javier Fernandez was named OPPD President and CEO in 2021 – just days before a substantial and destructive storm.

“We knew there were a couple storms forming outside our service territory… three storms merged into a gigantic one,” he recalled.

When it was over, 188,000 customers were without power. At the time, it was the largest outage in the District’s history.

“I think probably the thing that stands out …