Officials with MidAmerican Energy Company said Friday (today) tree maintenance crews have been working to maintain vegetation around MidAmerican Energy’s facilities throughout its service territory, including  (locally) those in Avoca, Charter Oak, Clarinda and Council Bluffs.

MidAmerican Energy contracts with companies that specialize in tree trimming to perform the work and crews are supervised by International Society of Arboriculture certified arborists. Customers are notified by mail approximately three weeks before services are scheduled in their neighborhood. There is no service charge assessed to perform the work.

Fallen trees or debris from trees cause seven to 10 percent of electric outages and create hazardous situations when they knock down electrical wires and poles. Trees must be pruned or removed to alleviate safety hazards and improve service reliability.

Property owners should contact MidAmerican Energy before choosing to care for landscaping near power lines. If you, your equipment, or the branches you touch come into contact with energized lines, you could be seriously injured, if not killed. If you are concerned about trees near power lines on your property, contact MidAmerican Energy at 888-427-5632 or trees@midamerican.com.