While hundreds of earthquakes near Lahontan Reservoir over the past few weeks have unnerved many residents, most reports of damage have been isolated and minor. But they also serve as a reminder to be prepared in case of a major emergency.
Whether it might be an earthquake, wildfire or flood, Lyon County Emergency Management Director Taylor Allison said residents should make and review their own personal preparedness plans and keep evacuation go-kits ready in case of an emergency.
For the county, the Lyon County Office of Emergency Management bears the responsibility for coordinating the county’s planning and response for major disasters and maintains a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and a Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan.
“Our job is to help our communities prepare, respond and recover,” Allison said. “During a disaster, our initial role is to support emergency personnel in acquiring the resources necessary to protect life safety such as equipment or search and rescue teams,” she said. “If major damages were to occur, emergency management does have plans in place to collect damage information from residents and property owners via a call center, deploying digital surveys and/or going door-to-door.”
If such an emergency required mass notifications to residents, Allison said emergency alerts would first be sent through the Lyon County Sheriff’s App and official social media accounts. The county also has the ability to issue emergency alerts directly to mobile phones. For extended road closures or evacuation orders, she said updates would be posted on PerimeterMap.com so residents can see whether they are in or near a hazardous area.
Some residents received an alert during the April 13 quake through ShakeAlert, which the Nevada Seismological Lab and USGS are working to implement statewide.
Allison said residents who need help or have information to report can call the county’s non-emergency dispatch line at (775) 463-6620. She said 911 should be used only for life-safety emergencies. If call volume overwhelms dispatch during a major event, she said the county will activate a public call center to handle non-emergency reports.
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