Nebraska tornadoes: Omaha airport damage won’t interfere with big weekend ahead

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Omaha airport officials made assurances Saturday that none of the tornado damage at Eppley Airfield will prevent it from welcoming those flocking to the city for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder events in the days ahead.

Mayor Jean Stothert said during Saturday’s major briefing in the aftermath of the tornadoes that hit Douglas County that the airport was still experiencing delays.

The airport was closed less than an hour Friday, reopening at 5:59 p.m., after a tornado struck the general aviation area, according to David Roth with the Omaha Airport Authority.

Roth said they had been preparing for the weather event for days beforehand.

Passengers in the terminals were taken into shelters throughout the severe weather event, and no injuries were reported.

The passenger areas were not damaged by the storm, and neither were the construction areas, so that work continued Saturday, Roth said.

But there was damage on the airfield — several millions of dollars’ worth.

Four hangars owned by OAA were completely destroyed, and the 31 private aircraft housed there sustained significant damage, Roth said. But reconstruction crews had already been deployed as of Saturday’s news conference.

For the time being, he said, the east side of the airport would remain closed to anyone without specific reason to be there.

Local, county, regional, and state officials held a news conference at 3 p.m. Saturday along with representatives from area organizations and agencies to share details about the events of Friday’s storms as well as map out recovery efforts ahead and those already underway.

Local, state, and federal disaster proclamations are expected, which will release funds for recovery.

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Reporter Joe Harris contributed to this report.

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