NV Energy: Thousands in Northern Nevada without power as winds snap trees and power lines

UPDATE 5:07PM: As of 5 p.m. NV Energy reports 318 customers are without power in Carson City, 8,102 in Douglas County, 97 customers in Lyon County and 1,624 customers in Washoe County.
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UPDATE 320PM: As of 3:15 p.m. there were 318 customers without power in Carson City, 5,493 without power in Douglas County, 172 customers in Lyon County and 1,760 customers in Washoe County. Six customers were without power in Storey County.
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High winds from the current storm system have caused multiple outages Thursday throughout the Carson City, Carson Valley and Washoe Valley areas, according to NV Energy.

If you encounter a downed power line, consider it live and very dangerous. Report it to 9-1-1 or call NV Energy. More than 5,000 customers are without power in Douglas County, with hundreds of localized outages between Carson City and Washoe Valley, according to NV Energy.

Dangerous downslope winds will continue through Thursday evening, prompting a High Wind Warning until midnight for much of western Nevada including Carson City, Carson Valley, Lyon and Storey counties.

Wind gusts across Carson City, Washoe Valley and Carson Valley will be between 70-80 mph with wind prone areas potentially seeing wind gusts up to 90 mph.

Lyon County Manager Jeff Page reports the following:

South Lyon County (Yerington, Mason Valley, and Smith Valley) is experiencing sustained winds. 95A from Yerington is experiencing low visibility and has been temporarily restricted to travel. County Roads connecting to that portion of 95A are also restricted.

Winds of this magnitude will create dangerous travel conditions on area roadways with travel restrictions likely, downed trees, power outages, property damage.

Additionally, strong turbulence and wind shear will impact aviation operations. Expect delays to air travel; check with your airline for details. Today is the day to prepare and secure wind sensitive items to prevent property damage. Note, if you are in a sheltered area from southerly winds, you may only see wind gusts of 30-40 mph such as downtown.

From Douglas County PIO Melissa Blosser:

A Flood Watch continues for Carson Valley through late tonight. Rain will move into the region by this afternoon and continue into the evening. The highest risk of flooding is in urban areas and along creeks and streams leading out of the Carson Range. Water may inundate
portions of Washoe Valley and Carson Valley well into Friday.

The Emergency Operations Center is staffed with over 24 mission critical positions, mostly supported by Douglas County staff, East Fork Fire Protection District, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as well as volunteers, Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Authority, Carson Valley Conservation District personnel, the Douglas County CERT Team.

Emergency Management officials are encouraging residents to be prepared for the possibility of road closures and power outages. Never attempt to drive into flooded areas, especially at night when the dangers of flooding are much more difficult to see.

Strong winds will continue through the evening. Residents should expect power outages and property
damage such as downed fences, hazardous down powerlines and down trees. Plan for hazardous travel conditions for high profile vehicles. Consider delaying or rerouting travel around wind prone areas. Strong turbulence and wind shear will impact aviation interests in the region possibly resulting in delays or cancellations.

Flood-prone areas near small streams, creeks, ditches and culverts are expected to flood Thursday and into Friday. Douglas County has sandbags available at nine locations and urges residents to assemble them on their property if there is a chance of flooding.

Douglas County is encouraging residents to utilize the Douglas County Flood Hotline to assist them in obtaining non-emergency information related to current flooding in Douglas County. The hotline is in operation and staffed by DC Sheriff’s Office Citizen Patrol. The hotline is open until 3 a.m. this morning.

The number to call is (775) 783-6404 or (775) 782-9099.

Response priorities for County Road Crews include life safety, preventing damage to homes, maintaining emergency access to property, and providing for safe travel on County roads.

For road closures and flood updates vist: http://www.douglascountynv.gov/AlertCenter.aspx

For sandbag locations visit: http://www.douglascountynv.gov/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Flood-Watch-and-High...

For Flood Safety and preparation: http://www.nevadafloods.org/

For the most current weather alerts visit: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.9425853258532&lon=-119.7...