The National Weather Service is forecasting an atmospheric river to hit the Reno-Tahoe area on Thursday. 

The storm may bring heavy rainfall on top of a significant snowpack and full creeks and ditches, county officials said. 

“Washoe County Community Services Department (CSD) follows mandated priorities for flood response: Top priority is life safety, then to maintain clear access for emergency vehicles and to protect public infrastructure,” officials said in a press statement. “Protections are in place to minimize the impact on the public.”

CSD has staged equipment such as backhoes, loaders and trailers for deployment in case of an emergency. 

While ditches have been cleared, the county advises residents to remove garbage and debris from their properties and empty roadside ditches to prevent clogged drains and unnecessary flooding. 

CSD warns against walking into standing water or flooded ditches as they are dangerous. 

“Washoe County has done everything it can to minimize the impact of flooding on residents, but we know that heavy rain on top of heavy snow will cause water levels to rise and low elevations to flood,” Washoe County Emergency Manager Kelly Echeverria said. “We must each take responsibility to prepare and protect our homes and our families.”

Lemmon Valley 

In Lemmon Valley, the county has taken measures to protect the area around Swan Lake from rising water levels, including constructing protective berms in certain areas around the lake and installing high-flow pumps to manage water that flows down from the surrounding areas.

“We have a plan. The work we did a month ago was to prepare us for today,” Assistant County Manager Dave Solaro said. “What we’re doing today is to protect us for a month from now.” 

Several ditches in the southern end of the county near Toll Road, Geiger Grade, Whites Creek, and Thomas Creek are buried under several feet of snow, increasing the potential for flooding from irrigation ditches. 

Crews have been monitoring these ditches and clearing them of debris to minimize flooding, officials said. Some known problem areas around Toll Road and Geiger Grade are already sandbagged.

Contact information

To report a problem within the City of Reno, please call Reno Direct at 775-344-INFO (4636).

To report a problem within the City of Sparks, please call 775-353-2231 or download the city’s new My Sparks app.

Electricity

Heavy snow can damage trees, which in turn can damage power lines. If you suspect damage to a power line, do not go anywhere near it. Report downed power lines to 9-1-1 and NV Energy’s emergency line: 775-834-4100.

NV Energy has information on how to prepare for possible power outages here. Residents can also report street light issues here.

Traffic Signals

To report traffic signal issues, call 775-335-7623.

Travel

Check the Nevada Department of Transportation roads webcams or call 1-877-NV-ROADS, or visit nvroads.com, for real-time road conditions and be prepared for possible delays.

Source: Washoe County