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.
Page explained that with the amount of snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Range and smaller mountain ranges the potential for river flooding on the Carson and Walker rivers is significant. He advised county staff have been participating with the National Weather Service and Nevada Division of Emergency Management to prepare for river and potential flash flooding over the next several months.
The National Weather Service has said Lyon County should be prepared for flooding from April through July on the Carson River and April through August on the Walker River.
Page explained that there are a number of variables that will affect how much flooding and when to expect flooding. Rapid increase in temperature, significant rain fall and storage capacity will play critical factors.
Lyon County strongly urges citizens that have property on either river to prepare their properties for high water events that may last a long duration. He explained that this event may be similar the 1982-1983 high water events.
Lyon County officials will continue to work with state and river officials to attempt to reduce the impacts of river flooding and to keep the public up-to-date on the status of the rivers.
