Washoe County Roads crews are all-hands-on deck cleaning up the mud flow and debris caused by a flash flood on Sunday, July 21. They expect to continue cleanup operations for the next couple of weeks, but the roads are passable. Approximately 100 homes were affected.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a resident’s home weather station recorded a downpour the equivalent of a 200-year flood. This means that this level of storm only has a 1:200 – or .05 percent – change of happening in any given year.
“This is not something that can be planned for or prevented,” Community Services Director (CSD) Eric Crump said. “Hidden Valley is at the base of two significant drainages, and no amount of preparation could have averted the effects this kind of downpour.”
The Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC) was activated at a level 2, meaning that it is partially staffed to provide support to local response operations.
CSD crews have made streets passable and have not hindered access to driveways, and they will continue to conduct cleanup over the next couple of weeks. CSD’s priority is life and safety, not aesthetics, and they will not be cleaning up private property or damage to landscaping. However, residents may push any mud, rocks, sticks, and other natural debris into the gutter by Wednesday, July 31, and CSD crews will dispose of it. Household debris is not allowed.
Red Cross conducted damage assessments on Tuesday and made contact with residents identifying resources they need to make their homes more habitable, particularly those whose insurance will not cover damage from the flood and debris. Team Rubicon is monitoring the situation for potential response.
A list of contractors that have the capacity to assist homeowners is listed on the Emergency Washoe website: https://www.emergencywashoe.com/flooding/6532/.
Hidden Valley Regional Park also sustained damage in the flood and is currently closed. CSD will be assessing the damage today and determining when it will be able to reopen.
To see real-time road and area closures due to emergencies, residents can visit Emergency Management’s Dashboard of Regional Agencies (DORA), which displays information and alerts from Perimeter Map, the National Weather Service, NV Energy, air quality, road conditions, and more.
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