A flash flood on July 21 affected about 100 homes in the Hidden Valley neighborhood, prompting an extensive cleanup operation. Washoe County officials announced on Thursday that crews had cleared nearly 16,000 cubic yards of mud and debris from the area.
“We quickly pulled resources together through our Regional Emergency Operations Center and were able to quickly deploy crews in 12-hour shifts to clean up the damage,” said Washoe County’s Eric Crump. “We know that it will take time to repair all of the damage, but our … priority is safety and accessibility, and we are grateful that there were no injuries in this flood event.”
The Red Cross is conducting damage assessments and assisting residents in identifying resources to make their homes more habitable, particularly those whose insurance doesn’t cover flood and debris damage.
The National Weather Service confirms that a resident’s home weather station recorded rainfall equivalent to a 200-year flood, with 1.3 inches falling in just 45 minutes. Officials said this storm level has only a 0.05 percent chance of occurring in any given year.
After a week of cleanup, country crews hauled 15,800 cubic yards of debris from the neighborhood and stored 5,000 cubic loads in its roads yard. That’s equivalent to 600 truckloads.
An additional 10,800 cubic yards of mud and debris have been removed from Hidden Valley Regional Park, which bore the brunt of the debris flow. The park remains partially closed due to damage and heavy equipment traffic, but crews are prioritizing areas that residents use the most.
Limited park access is expected to open late next week, and the dog park, tennis courts, playgrounds and bathrooms will open in phases after that.
Source: Washoe County
