Nevada Levee Breaks; 4,000 Being Rescued

Source: Fox News

Lyon County emergency crews were working to rescue nearly 4,000 people after a flash flood was issued when a levee along the Truckee Canal at 4:30 a.m. about 30 miles east of Reno.

Helicopters were picking up residents from rooftops while many more were being sought.

There have been no reported injuries.

Upwards of 800 homes were affected and at least 3,500 people were being evacuated, or 10 percent of the town, Fernley.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320496,00.html

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Levee Breaks in Fernley; Nearly 4,000 Evacuated

http://ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=7581607

Kellene Stockwell
Channel 2 News



A countywide emergency declaration has been made for Lyon County after the Truckee Canal levee broke early Saturday morning in the eastern Fernley Farm District Road area.

Lyon County emergency crews and helicopters are rescuing nearly 4,000 people right now off roof tops while more may still be trapped.

At least 200 homes are currently under three feet of water.

Evacuees can go to Fernley High School.

Fernley Mayor Todd Cutler told Channel 2 during a live 8am update that the electricity is out, and that there's been no injuries "to my knowledge."

Reporter Jen Jackson mentioned she saw several agencies including the Nevada Highway Patrol, Washoe County Sheriff's Office and the Reno Fire Department helping getting people out.

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BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
555 AM PST SAT JAN 5 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RENO ...


FLOOD WATER FROM A BROKEN LEVEE ALONG THE TRUCKEE CANAL WILL
CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLOODING OF THE AREA AROUND FARM DISTRICT AND
RICCI ROAD IN FERNLEY. RENO NHP REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 200
HOMES IN THE AREA ARE UNDER 3 FEET OF WATER. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF THE TRUCKEE CANAL AND OTHER
LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE
IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS
LIVING ALONG THE TRUCKEE CANAL AND NEARBY STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD
TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH
BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE.

Best of wishes to Fernley-ites.

They are okay for now. The road behind their home is keeping the water from them. On the other side of the road its flooded. Looks like they'll be okay as long as the water doesn't get any higher. They also have electricity so the family is warm. Good thoughts requested.

I just put her on a plane here in LA after her Christmas visit, isn't Fernley on the way and is it shut down or detoured I wonder???

Maybe she should stay in Reno overnight and drive back tomorrow.

is, at the moment, open with no controls between Reno and Winnemucca. However the forecast (in Reno) calls for 100% chance of snow later today and tonight. We're expecting probably between 5 to 10 more inches of snow here in Reno.

What time is she planning on driving?

This afternoon/evening would hardly be ideal conditions for a lengthy drive. Tomorrow might be better as only scattered snow showers are in the forecast. Yes...Fernley is on the way to Winnemucca on I-80 about 30 miles east of Reno.

should have NO impact on the drive. I'd just be a bit more concerned about possible weather and road conditions later on today.

around the time of the break. Any info?

And their plan was to hit the road right from the aiport as she has school in Winnemucca Monday, however, maybe she should stay the extra day. I should just buy her a hotel room and tell her to go there!!!

The highway is okay. My kids are evacuating to Reno to the inlaws. Exhale! I just talked to them about 30 minutes ago and they are leaving. The water is a block away from them. The water has been shut down at the damn. Now they are worrying over the next wave of rain. It looks like its going to be snow. I don't know if that will be better than more rain. But at least they shut down the dam. Now if they don't get so much rain that they have to open it back up again.

but sorry it came to that. Hope their house isn't to messed up afterwards!

I'm really kind of surprised that Fox "news" isn't covering this a a possible "terror" attack, this was caused by one thing, maintenance budget cuts, probably due to Bush's Federal Tax cuts, which cause budget cuts at the local level.

where they are blaming gopher burrowing for weakening the wall of the canal that broke. Maybe Fox will declare the gophers as part of some terrorist plot.

at my house in Reno. The snow showers should be getting to Fernley before too long.

It sounds like the authorities out in Lyon county have done a pretty good job of handling the situation there. Thus far, not a single injury or fatality is being reported.

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