Nevada emergency weather declaration amended by governor
CARSON CITY – The recent emergency weather declaration by Gov. Joe Lombardo has been expanded to include additional tribal communities.
On Thursday, Lombardo amended the declaration of emergency to include more areas that have been impacted by ongoing severe weather in northern Nevada.
Those areas now include: Carson City, the counties of Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Storey, Washoe and White Pine, as well as the Walker River Paiute Tribe, Yerington Paiute Tribe and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
The amendment also authorized the Lincoln County Commission to compel mandatory evacuations on account of potential flooding that may occur should one or more dams in Lincoln County breach. Flooding damaged Echo Dam near Panaca on Thursday morning and threatened a potential failure, according to county officials. Several roads in the area were heavily damaged by flooding.
Today, we’re touring some of the areas impacted by the recent storms and flooding in northern Nevada. Thank you to @NVNationalGuard and @NVEmergencyMgmt for their ongoing preparation and response efforts. #TheNevadaWay pic.twitter.com/xR8MOF4sdB
— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) March 15, 2023
In addition to recognizing all of the counties and tribes who have issued emergency declarations, the amendment directs the Nevada Department of Transportation to formally request assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program.
The declaration covered three counties and some tribal communities when it was first issued a week ago.
Beginning March 9, severe weather has brought heavy rainfall, flooding, rockslides, avalanches and infrastructure damage to northern Nevada.
As severe weather conditions continue, more flooding and infrastructure damage are anticipated throughout the region. The declaration of emergency will enable impacted areas to continue to receive state and federal assistance as they work to protect citizens and repair damage from the storms.
Lombardo and his wife Donna Lombardo went on an aerial tour Wednesday with the Nevada National Guard and the Nevada Department of Emergency Management of some of the areas impacted by the recent rain and flooding in northern Nevada.
The flight covered the Carson River, Walker River, Smith Valley, Walker Canyon and Mason Valley, before stopping in Yerington.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.