Thousands remain without power Monday; NV Energy says restoration may go into Tuesday
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 9:35am
Thousands of NV Energy customers in Carson City and surrounding counties remained without power Monday and may remain without power until Tuesday evening following an atmospheric river storm that dumped heavy snow Saturday, snapping trees and power lines across the region.
NV says it is working around the clock to restore power to more than 22,000 customers who remain without electric service Monday from the severe winter storm that has caused more than 1,000 outages since Saturday in Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey and Washoe counties.
As of 8:50 Monday morning, 2,340 NV Energy customers were without power in Carson City; 4,793 customers in Douglas County, 2,767 customers in Lyon County, 158 in Storey County and 12,645 customers in Washoe County.
The company says it has brought or is in the process of bringing in additional NV Energy crews from southern and eastern Nevada as well as contracted crews to assist in restoration efforts. While the company said it hopes to have many customers restore Monday, full restoration could take until Tuesday, Jan. 3.
On the outage map here, which is updated frequently, the company estimates restoration in some areas by Tuesday evening.
"Since Sunday, NV Energy crews have been able to restore more than half of the customers who experienced an outage due to large amounts of wet, heavy snow that weighed down our power lines and impacted vegetation near our power lines. The priority remains getting the rest of our customers back in power safely and as quickly as possible and our crews will not stop working until everyone’s power is restored. Due to the large number of outages throughout the area and weather conditions, restoration efforts could take several days,” said Jesse Murray, NV Energy vice president of delivery. “We are truly sorry for the inconvenience and ask impacted customers to please stay safe and prepare for an extended outage.”
Meanwhile, people without power are scrambling to find places to recharge their smart phones, which have become the lifeline for real time information. Those without gas power can find warming shelters that have been established at the following locations:
Douglas County
Douglas County Community and Senior Center at 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville; Douglas County identification is required for entry.
Pets will be redirected to the animal shelter upon arrival and Animal Control will arrange for pick up.
In collaboration with Douglas County Emergency Management, Harveys Lake Tahoe in Stateline has put a warming area in place at the Harveys Convention Center Pre-Function area to assist those without power. From 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. the casino will provide coffee, hot and cold water, along with power strips and tables. Signage to help locate the area will be throughout the casino. Harveys Lake Tahoe, 18 Hwy 50, Stateline.
Douglas County is activating an additional emergency warming area for Douglas County residents on Jan. 2, 2023, near the Topaz Ranch Estates at the East Fork Fire Protection District Station 4 in Wellington. The address is 1476 Albite Road, Wellington, NV 89444. The warming area will remain open until further notice and will provide water, coffee, and charging capabilities. Another round of storms is predicted to hit the region later in the week. Some residents remain without power and freezing temperatures are expected. To contact the warming area, please call 775-783-6497.
Carson City
Night Off the Street warming shelter. Opens at 9 p.m. vacate by 6:30 a.m. First United Methodist Church between Division and Minnesota streets. First come first served.
Lyon County
Lyon County Dayton Senior Center at 320 Dayton Valley Rd, Dayton
Shelter is open now and will remain open through the night.
Storey County
Storey County Fire Department at 145 C Street, Virginia City
Open now through the night. No pets are allowed.
Reno-Sparks
Reno-Sparks Convention Center at 4590 S. Virginia Street, Reno Open through 6 p.m. on January 3
Washoe County Regional Animal Services is providing water and a few crates for any pets that may need to warm up.
Meanwhile, winter storms are lining up through the week, with the largest arriving Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
With single digit temperatures forecast for tonight and another winter storm anticipated later this week, NV Energy offers the following cold preparation and outage tips to keep customers and their homes safe:
— Drip faucets to reduce the likelihood of a pipe rupture.
— Keep a supply of flashlights and batteries on hand. Do not use candles as they pose a fire risk.
— Have a supply of non-perishable foods, medicine, baby supplies and pet food, as well as one gallon of water per person per day.
— Do not run a generator inside a home or garage. Use gas-powered generators in well-ventilated areas.
— Consider all downed power lines as live and dangerous. If you see one, stay away and call 911 and NV Energy to report.
More tips are available at nvenergy.com/outageprep.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. We will post more information as it becomes available.
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