Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said during a news conference Friday that it will be "all hands on deck" for city staff across various departments as an ice storm could cripple the area, beginning late this weekend.
"With ice and freezing rain, it's everywhere immediately and slippery, at once. When you have that scale, with very little time to get out and react to it, it becomes very difficult,” Omaha Street Superintendent Austin Rowser said.
Local organizations including OPPD, street maintenance, transportation, fire and police all working together.
“ If the streets are bad, which they will be, if there's an ice storm, we're going to do everything we can to clear them as quick as we can” said Mayor Jean Stothert.
“You have to expect they are going to be very, very slick. For people's safety, we want them to stay home and be as safe as possible."
While city maintenance is laying down brine and salt to combat the ice, Sarpy County is taking a different approach to clearing their roads.
“We have a two to one combination, gravel and salt which comes in real handy when we get into these sides,” said Rod Ripley, Sarpy County Highway Supervisor.
“We have traction there between storms. It doesn't just wash away or deplete it's always there. Some people are upset with this, yet when we get these situations they're very happy for it”
