Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.January 2012 > 158 complaints
January 2011 > 180 complaints
January 2010 > 393 complaints
February 2012 > 46* complaints
February 2011 > 917 complaints
February 2010 > 2,382 complaints
* Numbers are through Monday
To report a pothole call Omaha Public Works at 402-444-4919 or click here.
Omahans are likely to see a pothole perfect storm over the next few weeks.
That's right, it's crater season once again. While much of the winter in the Midlands has been mild, the weather forecast through the end of this month is ripe for chuckholes that are just waiting to tear up the underside of your car.
"This is pretty much the worst time of year for potholes," said Scott McIntyre, the city's street maintenance engineer. "There's just always moisture out there."
Fear not, McIntyre said. City crews have been filling craters for the past month or so. Five trucks were out daily throughout January. This month, at least one asphalt crew has been repairing potholes throughout Omaha, unless they've been pulled away to help with snow removal.
"If it gets bad — and there's potential for it to get bad — we'll have a dozen crews out," McIntyre said.
Potholes form after surface and subsoil water pools under the road and freezes. Above-freezing temperatures thaw the ice, creating a cavity under the road surface. Weight from vehicles causes asphalt to collapse.
Refreezing and thawing of water can worsen a pothole, which is why roads often are bumpy as spring draws closer and temperatures shift up and down.
A brutal winter two years ago left streets so riddled with potholes that city officials had a hard time figuring out where they were the worst. Mayor Jim Suttle said then that years of putting off resurfacing projects had made city streets ripe for potholes.
Last winter was a little better, although February was bad. This winter, crews have had a much easier go of it so far, though that could change.
University of Nebraska at Omaha junior Bobbi Flores lost the rim to her right front tire last week as she turned onto campus from Dodge Street.
"I was driving and I kind of saw it, but I didn't realize it was that big," she said. "I kind of tried to move, and it hit the edge of my tire."
She lost the rim and hasn't replaced it yet. Flores is worried about the cost. "I don't want to know," she said.
Flores said the hole was as big around as a tire and was at least a few inches deep.
"It scared me," she said. "I kind of screamed."
A weak storm system is forecast to move through the area Wednesday night into Thursday, said Tom Kines, meteorologist for AccuWeather Inc., The World-Herald's weather consultant. That system could bring freezing drizzle or light snow but isn't expected to leave behind a lot of precipitation.
Even so, that freeze-thaw cycle that breeds potholes is likely to be in full swing. Once that storm system moves out, highs near or above 40 and lows below freezing are forecast for at least a week.
"Certainly we're getting into that time of year when freezing nights and above-freezing days are becoming more common," Kines said.
Through March, the long-term outlook is for relatively mild weather.
"Even ... mild weather can produce potholes," McIntyre said. "All it takes is a little rain or snow and temperatures in the 20s at night. Finishing by the end of March is our goal."
World-Herald staff writer Nancy Gaarder contributed to this report.
Contact the writer:
402-444-3100, maggie.obrien@owh.com
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