A good percentage of that uptick in revenue will come from lodging, with 14,000 hotel rooms situated along the path of totality inside the Cornhusker state.

Most hotel rooms along the miracle path already are booked for the occasion, some since 2016. Homes and rooms renting on the Airbnb website are fetching top dollar for the occasion, with an average rental costing $382 per night during the three-day span.

“To put it in perspective: The entire state is essentially sold out for this weekend,” Nelson said. “As a state, we’ve started to send people to Omaha and surrounding communities outside of the path of totality because of the massive demand for hotel rooms. We’re very full on a local and statewide level.”

In Hastings, prime viewing location events such as those scheduled at Hastings Museum and Prairie Loft Center are expected to attract between 4,000-10,000 people for what Nelson said could be “the biggest weekend of tourism the state has even seen.”

Information on all things related to SolFest 2017 — a weekend celebration in Hastings centered around the solar eclipse — is available online at solfesthastings.com.

While official events are plentiful, residents also can enjoy simply staying home and watching the eclipse in their own backyards, Nelson said. Weather permitting, viewing should be possible from all vantage points within city limits.

“You can view the eclipse anywhere in Hastings,” she said. “The softball complex, downtown, Brickyard Park, your own backyard ... the entire city is within the pathway of totality.”

From T-shirts to solar eclipse viewing glasses, many area businesses are hoping to cash in on the fleeting opportunity. While prospects for profit are beyond inviting from a tourism perspective, Nelson said the anticipated numbers likely will put a strain on local resources for the duration of the event.

“It’s so exciting, but terrifying at the same time,” she said. “There’s a hint of ‘Oh my goodness, what are we going to do?’ It’s such a good problem to have. We want to educate people on what to expect to make the weekend go even smoother because it could get very chaotic.”

Nelson offers a few simple suggestions to lessen the impact the increased human traffic will have on supply and demand:

— Fill the gas tank a week or so in front of the event

— Stock up on groceries in much the same way as before an anticipated snow event

— Limit cellphone and internet usage when possible during peak hours over the weekend and day of the eclipse

— Expect traffic delays and plan for such by allotting extra time for travel.

“It’s really exciting to be able to host thousands upon thousands of people,” Nelson said. “We see this as an opportunity to showcase who we are and what we are about.”