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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LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – Over 60,000 fans showed up to Memorial Stadium for the Huskers spring game—and to get their first look at this year’s quarterbacks.

All three players saw reps in the 25-21 win for Team White over Team Red. Each gave Husker Nation reason to be excited for what awaits this fall, especially five-star freshman Dylan Raiola.

Maybe it was the non-contact jerseys, but Raiola played with the demeanor of a seasoned veteran.

When he first took the field for Nebraska—for his father’s team—the 18-year-old struggled to keep his emotions in check.

“I fought back tears walking out of the tunnel,” he said. “Growing up as a kid, that’s what I knew and that’s what I watched. So being a part of it, going out of the tunnel and hearing the song, it got heavy for me.”

Once the game began, Raiola shined, completing 16 of his 22 passes for 239 yards along with two touchdowns against one interception. His 15 first-half completions went to 13 different receivers.

Heinrich Haarberg also threw a pair of touchdowns, including a high heave to freshman Jacory Barney Jr. for the 41-yard score. Danny Kaelin also completed 9 of his 16 passes and threw one pick.

“I think I left something out there for sure,” the Bellevue West alum said. “There’s a lot to learn from, but I’m proud of the way I came out there and played confident.”

It’s no secret that Matt Rhule plans to take the quarterback race into the fall. He believes it is bringing the best out of all three field generals.

“We’re going to focus on Dylan, I get that,” Rhule said of the fan/media attention. “But you can see the improvement on Heinrich. You can see Danny as a true freshman go out and complete 60 percent of his passes. I personally believe it’s going to take all of us to play well at the quarterback position in the Big Ten.”

The competition has fueled camaraderie in the quarterback room.

“We’ve been grinding together for three months and it’s been fun,” Raiola said. “We’re competing but at the end of the day we’re there for each other.”

“We’re not going to go head-to-head,” Haarberg added. “We’re going to work together but at the same time, compete.”

Raiola will spend some time in Kansas City this summer working with Patrick Mahomes and his trainer Bobby Stroupe.

“I just want to be around greatness,” he said of Mahomes. “Just trying to take it all in and elevate my game as much as I can.”

Come August, we’ll find out how much he learned.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.

LINCOLN, Neb. (Press Release) – Nebraska Athletics has partnered with Fanatics, Best of Big Red, Lincoln Scheels, and local retailers to raise money for tornado relief efforts. Fans can purchase “Nebraska Together” apparel at Huskers.com or Best of Big Red Lincoln locations beginning Tuesday.

“One thing I know growing up in the Midwest is neighbors are always willing to help neighbors,” said Troy Dannen, Director of Athletics. “This is a great time to rally for those in need. We are happy to play a small part in assisting Nebraskans through this difficult time.”

Nebraska will donate royalties and all proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross to assist local relief efforts. In April of 2019, a similar project provided $75,000 of support for flood relief in the state, and Nebraska Athletics is hopeful that Husker fans can make a similar impact.

Apparel will start at $25.

Shirts can be pre-ordered from Bestofbigred.com.

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