Residents load up on sandbags
Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter
City Manager Daphne Hooper said Saturday afternoon that the city has run out of sandbags.
The city made piles of sand and 3,000 bags available Friday evening for residents concerned about possible flooding this weekend. Hooper said additional bags should be available by 8 p.m. Saturday.
The area is projected to receive heavy rain this weekend and into Monday, after more than 8 inches of snow fell Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“We are continuing to monitor drainage areas and put forth another effort today to clean storm drains and inlets,” Hooper said. “Additional sand was stockpiled at the rodeo grounds but we have not been able to find vendors that are open or have any stockpiles of sand bags. Public works staff will be on duty tomorrow afternoon monitoring the local area. Additional staff are on standby to assist as needed and as weather conditions develop.”
Dennis Humbert and DeAndra Humbert and Ray and Amanda Pacheco were among the first people to begin filling up bags when they were made available at 5 p.m. Friday.
“Kind of taking precautions a little bit,” Dennis Humbert said. “I don’t think it’s going to do anything, but she does.”
DeAndra Humbert said they experienced flooding at their home about three years ago during a severe thunderstorm on the 4th of July.
“The drains around our neighborhood don’t drain very well,” Dennis Humbert said. “They get all plugged up and it floods the street and up into our driveway, and that’s just little flash floods.”
“Better to be safe than sorry,” DeAndra Humbert said. “Our street floods every time it rains, up to the door of the cars.”
Mayor Roy Edgington said the city has taken all of the precautionary measures and does not expect significant flooding. He said areas such as Cottonwood Lane, Willow Way and Hardie Lane, which have had problems in the past could see standing water at some of the intersections He said city crews will be out throughout the weekend monitoring the situation and if necessary will have pumps to help remove water.
He said Truckee Carson Irrigation District is monitoring flows in the canal.
“We don’t anticipate anything more than normal,” he said.
Additional sandbags are located throughout Lyon County at the following locations:
* Lyon County Animal Services, U.S. 50 just East of Ramsey Cutoff.
* Stagecoach Community Center, 8105 U.S. 50.
* Dayton Utilities Keystone Property, 404 Keystone Dr.
* Fire Station 35, 231 Corral Dr.
* Fire Station on Dayton Valley Rd, 460 Dayton Valley Road
* Dayton Utilities Yard (outside of the gate), 200 Lakes Blvd.
* Mound House Fire Station, 56 Red Rock Road
* Silver City Community Center, 385 High St.
Photos by Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter
