Truckee Meadows officials are continuing to warn of significant flood and today announce that the Truckee River is expected start flooding at 2 p.m.
Red Cross Shelter Update:
In anticipation of flooding along the Truckee and Carson Rivers, three evacuation shelters are open:
General population shelters:
Sparks High School
820 15th street
Sparks, Nevada
LDS Church
411 North Saliman
Carson City, Nevada
Overflow shelter:
Wooster High School
1331 E. Plumb Lane
Reno, Nevada
102 people spent Saturday night in the overflow shelter and 2 at Carson City. Currently there are 136 clients at the overflow shelter and 2 at the Carson City site.
In addition to these shelters, shelter equipment has been positioned in Wadsworth for use if flooding should occur further downstream on the Truckee River.
From Washoe County:
Washoe County, City of Reno and City of Sparks officials continue to prepare for a significant flood event that will strongly impact the region today, Sunday, January 8, 2017. The forecast shows flooding starting at around 2 p.m. today in downtown Reno and possibly lasting through around noon tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
The Truckee River Flood Management Authority has released a new set of maps showing the simulated flooding. The maps are available online. Please review the maps and prepare for flooding.
Sandbag information is available at the following links:
- Washoe County
- City of Reno – a seventh sandbag location has been added today in the City of Reno
- City of Sparks
“The flood simulation maps represent a valuable tool,” said Jay Aldean, Executive Director of the Truckee River Flood Management Authority. “This is the first time we’ve been able to translate weather forecast data into almost-real-time information for emergency responders on the ground.”
Flood events are unpredictable, and officials are keeping an eye on downtown Reno, the Steamboat Creek area including low-lying areas of Damonte Ranch, the Hidden Valley subdivision and nearby areas, and the Rosewood Lakes area. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport is now forecast to flood less than projected, but this does not mean that the flood risk has decreased in other areas.
The City of Reno, the City of Sparks and Washoe County have closed all public parks located along the Truckee River.
Temperatures and snow elevations are changing rapidly. Snowmelt is unpredictable and is causing water runoff to go in unexpected directions.
Evacuation centers are open at Sparks High, Wooster High and Natchez Elementary in Wadsworth.
First responders are also urging the public to stay away from the Truckee River. If first responders have to perform river rescues, it will divert valuable resources away from the flood response.
