Emergency Management

Today, Wednesday from 5 to 10 p.m., the Capitol Complex grounds and associated buildings in Carson City will be closed to the public for first responder agencies to participate in a full scale “active shooter” drill.

UPDATE 8:08PM: According to the Lyon County Facebook page, the Fort Churchill Fire near Dayton is 200 acres with 95 percent containment. No structures threatened or damaged. Power may be disrupted in the area.
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Wildfires have been reported this evening in the Dayton and Silver Springs/Stagecoach areas, with Carson City Fire Department being asked to help as part of a mutual aid effort, according to dispatch.

The North Lyon County Fire Protection District has requested Lyon County Office of Emergency Management to issue an advisory to Fernley residents due to smoke in the area.

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory reports two local magnitude 4.0 and 4.1 earthquakes in a swarm of 40 events Tuesday centered 13 miles northwest of Truckee, Calif. The two largest events were separated by seven minutes.

Residents near the West Walker River in Smith Valley may have to evacuate given the rising water, officials said early Wednesday evening.

UPDATE 955PM: From Douglas County: The Topaz Fire is in mop up status at the present time. The fire burned 8 acres within the Topaz Subdivision just south of the Topaz Lodge in Southern Douglas County.
Highway 395 was closed during initial fire attack operations. The highway is now open but motorist are urged to proceed with caution through the area. One out building was damaged in the fire and no structures were lost. Approximately 30 to 40 homes were threatened at one time. Volunteer evacuations are still in place.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed several bills into law Tuesday and vetoed four. Additionally on Monday, he approved four veteran and military related measures at a Memorial Day ceremony in Boulder City.

A Small Stream Flood Advisory for snowmelt has been issued by the National Weather Service for low lying ranch land in areas south of Carson City into Carson Valley in Douglas County, Southern Washoe County and Alpine County.

Continued warming temperatures will increase snow melt this week, with the likelihood of flooding near some creeks and streams flowing out of the Sierra. The Walker River through the Mason Valley and Yerington is expected to reach major flood stage early this week, with record levels possible, according to the National Weather Service.

With rising temperatures bringing snowmelt runoff from the Sierra, a Flood Watch is in effect beginning Sunday for much of the region, including Carson City, Lyon, Washoe and Douglas counties, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Lyon County has been notified by the National Weather Service that flows on the Walker River are being forecasted to run higher than what was earlier anticipated, according to county manager Jeff Page.

In this week's edition of It's Your City, host Cortney Bloomer sits down with Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon who came on board in March. Chief Slamon talks about the emergency management role in the city and discusses the snowpack issue from this winter's historic snow in the Sierra and the concern now of the snow melt and the potential for flooding.

MINDEN — With increased water in the area from recent winter and spring storms that brought record-breaking precipitation into the area, Douglas County Emergency Management and Mosquito Abatement General Improvement District is expecting more mosquitos in Douglas County this season.

YERINGTON — Lyon County Manager Jeff Page announced that Lyon County will be hosting a Town Hall meeting to inform the public of the flood potential on the Walker River system.

The Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department would like to advise all users of the Ash Canyon area and the Marlette-Hobart Backcountry of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park that Ash Canyon Road is likely to remain closed throughout 2017.

Lyon County is actively preparing for a high spring and summer runoff on the Carson and Walker rivers, including personnel exercises Wednesday designed to respond to and recover from various flooding scenarios.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners have declared a State of Emergency in preparation for the potential of flooding associated with spring runoff and for stormy conditions such as this weekend.

Carson City, Douglas and Washoe counties and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada will receive federal disaster assistance in areas affected by severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides in February, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday.

With river levels expected to rise in the weeks and months ahead, the Lyon County Board of Commissioners approved a declaration of emergency on Thursday for all of Lyon County in preparation for potential flooding from spring and summer snow melt run off.

Heading a stellar line-up of speakers for the second annual UAS Search and Rescue Symposium, Gene Robinson, who literally wrote the book on how to use drones for search and rescue and disasters, will talk about how to train public safety agencies in the use of aerial and ground robots in emergency response.

Karen Abowd, Carson City Supervisor, Ward 1, hosts her monthly Walkabout, Friday, March 17, at Mills Park.
Everyone is invited to attend, whether they reside in Ward 1 or not.

“This will be a great time to enjoy this wonderful, long-awaited sunshine,” Abowd. “I would also like to hear from people their storm-related concerns or about any damage that may not be on the radar and how their neighborhoods came through.”

Abowd also said that low-cost loans are being made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for some damages not covered by homeowner’s insurance.

YERINGTON – Lyon County Manager Jeff Page said Wednesday that he will ask the Board of Commissioners at the March 16 County Commission meeting to declare a county wide state of emergency due to anticipated flooding from snowpack.

CARSON CITY, NV – Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Tuesday that U.S. 95 south of Fallon will be closed this Thursday, March 9 through Friday, March 17 as the Nevada Department of Transportation installs additional drainage culverts to help protect the roadway during monumental local flood mitigation efforts.

UPDATE 5:05PM: Lyon County officials advise the immediate threat from the retention basin is over. Water is still flowing in the drainages but no property or structures are threatened at this time. No evacuations were ordered and there are no reported injuries or fatalities.

UPDATE 8AM: Less than 10 days after Nevada Gov. Sandoval sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking for federal assistance due to flooding in early January, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded to the call.

Due to recent storms and flood events, several parks, trails and open spaces throughout Carson City have sustained more than $2,000,000 in damage, according to city officials.

UPDATE 5:07PM: As of 5 p.m. NV Energy reports 318 customers are without power in Carson City, 8,102 in Douglas County, 97 customers in Lyon County and 1,624 customers in Washoe County.
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UPDATE 320PM: As of 3:15 p.m. there were 318 customers without power in Carson City, 5,493 without power in Douglas County, 172 customers in Lyon County and 1,760 customers in Washoe County. Six customers were without power in Storey County.
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High winds from the current storm system have caused multiple outages Thursday throughout the Carson City, Carson Valley and Washoe Valley areas, according to NV Energy.

With more than six inches on the ground already in places around Carson City, the area is about to get hit again with an even stronger winter storm very early Sunday morning through Monday morning.

Another round of precipitation is forecast to arrive in Northwestern Nevada starting Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno reports, and last at least through Saturday with a chance of rain or snow showers.

Carson City is taking the current break in winter weather to address the recovery process. Public Works is leading Damage Assessment teams, which are comprised of Public Works, Parks, Recreation & Open Space, Fire Department and State Division of Emergency Management assessors to evaluate the damage inflicted across the city. Parks, homes, trails and infrastructure, like sidewalks and roads, were impacted.