OMAHA, Neb. — A severe storm packing strong wind damaged the Qwest Center and forced hundreds of swimmers practicing for the U.S. Olympic trials to evacuate the pools Friday.
Officials at the 7-year-old arena near downtown Omaha closed the building for the rest of the night after the afternoon storm blew through to check the extent of the damage. Superstar Michael Phelps and hundreds of other swimmers were herded into the hallways of the arena after a tornado warning was issued.
Across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa, police Sgt. Jason Bailey said two people died when a tree fell on the car they were in. Another person was injured, but not severely, he said.
Damage to the Qwest Center appeared to be repairable and likely wouldn’t halt the eight-day swim trials, set to begin Sunday, according to Al Berndt, assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.
Arena televisions were tuned into local stations showing a swath of red, orange and yellow on the radar. Swimmers, coaches and meet workers milled about chatting. Some crowded close to an outside door with a narrow window that revealed the chaos outside — furious wind, rain and debris scattering through the parking lot.
“I was going go check it out, but I figured I’d just sit down and rest,” said two-time Olympian Erik Vendt.
Hail, heavy rain and wind of at least 50 mph tore through the city during the storm.
Water poured into parts of the Qwest Center, flowed down two sets of arena steps and onto the deck of the competition pool.
An elephant display for Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom on the arena’s lobby level was flooded.
Outside, there was no visible damage to the arena itself, but what appeared to be chunks of material from the building were scattered about. Some swimmers picked up the pieces and posed for pictures.
Phelps and his Club Wolverine teammates were walking from their hotel to the arena for afternoon practice when tornado sirens sounded.
“Really ominous, that’s for sure,” said Vendt, Phelps’ roommate during the meet.
Phelps’ mother, Debbie, was evacuated to the bottom floor of a nearby hotel where many of the swimmers are staying.
On a lighter note, Vendt joked that the storm might have been a good omen.
“When we came into the 2000 trials in Indianapolis, the same type thing happened,” he recalled. “Just a crazy thunderstorm that shook the hotel. Maybe that’s a good sign. USA Swimming puts us in tornado alley during tornado season.”
After the storm passed in about 40 minutes, the building was cleared and swimmers headed outside to snap pictures of sheet metal and other material that had been blown around.
The arena’s closure had Jack Bauerle, coach of the U.S. women’s Olympic team, trying to arrange for another pool to practice in.
“It’s an auspicious start, but everyone can adjust,” he said. “It’s no big deal, but at least it’s our job to tell them it’s no big deal. It’s just a change in plans.”
Bauerle predicted things would return to normal as long as the 1,250 swimmers set to compete at the trials are able to get back into the practice and warmup pools Saturday. Typically, swimmers practice in the morning and again in the afternoon.
“You don’t want to miss two sessions of practice,” he said.
Damage reports included downed trees and power lines that blocked streets and windows broken by golfball-sized hail. Traffic lights were out throughout the city.
Bauerle, the longtime swim coach at the University of Georgia, noted his school also was involved in another weather-marred event this year.
In March, a tornado struck the Georgia Dome during the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament, heavily damaging the Atlanta stadium and forcing the remaining games to be moved to a nearby college arena. The Bulldogs were forced to play two games in one day but wound up winning the tournament in a huge upset.
“I was watching on television when they had the tornado,” Bauerle said. “I had several friends at that game.”
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