LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Airport officials in Lincoln are working on
a contingency plan just in case the airport in Omaha is flooded by
the Missouri River.
Lincoln Airport Executive Director John Wood told the Lincoln
Journal Star on Thursday that the airport is working on a
worst-case scenario in case Eppley Airfield in Omaha has to close.
Wood says if that happens, flights will likely be diverted to
Lincoln and Des Moines, Iowa.
Omaha Airport Authority Director Steve Coufal says the airport
is not considering closing.
Eppley is surrounded on three sides by the Missouri River and is
protected by levees tall enough to withstand a flood stage of up to
42 feet. The river is expected to crest in Omaha at 36 feet and
stay above flood stage for months.