Nevada Governor Lombardo ends state of emergency, updates Hurricane Hilary recovery efforts
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 09/10/2023 - 12:53am
On Friday, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo issued an update on the recovery efforts taken to assist counties impacted by Hurricane Hilary in August. The severe weather event resulted in destruction across several counties, leaving state officials and partners to ensure impacted counties received the essential resources necessary for response and recovery.
“Today, we will officially end the State of Emergency that was put into place during Hurricane Hilary,” said Gov. Joe Lombardo. “Throughout this severe weather event, I was proud of the ongoing efforts of our response teams to ensure the safety and security of all Nevadans. Through coordination and cooperation, we were able to successfully implement our emergency plan to mitigate damage and expedite recovery efforts.”
The collaborative approach in local and state-issued disaster relief efforts were exemplified in the response to this storm. State and federal partners joined forces with local officials to support impacted counties with the resources needed for mitigation, response, and recovery measures.
Notably, State Liaison Officers were deployed to local operation centers to proactively help facilitate cooperation and coordination of response. Multiple coordination calls with local and tribal government emergency managers took place daily to ensure information is shared and needs were met.
Throughout the storm, officials assessed needs, coordinated with the appropriate partners, and deployed all necessary resources. This coordinated effort allowed local officials to manage county-level issues with state-level support and resources. The State of Emergency declared prior to the storm eliminated potential hurdles for local response activities and provided necessary tools to ensure residents will quickly and safely recover from disaster.
The Division of Emergency Management / Homeland Security (DEM) will continue to work in tandem with Clark, Esmeralda, and Nye counties to ensure coordination of recovery efforts are met. Throughout the State of Emergency, the state supported local officials with the following agency response activities:
Nevada Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEM)
· Worked with local governments to survey damage.
· Supported unmet needs from counties for recovery.
· Worked with counties on recovery plans.
· Verified damage with joint FEMA/Nevada preliminary damage assessment teams.
· Brought state agencies together in the Nevada Operations Center to support our local and tribal government’s needs.
· Hosted coordination calls with local and tribal government emergency managers to ensure information is shared and needs are met. The Division operates the state’s emergency management and homeland security enterprise under the premise of locally executed, state led, and federally supported: all disasters are local with the state assisting our local partners.
· Disseminated of information to the media, public, and local partners on preparedness measures, messaging, response resources, informational documents, and situational awareness across the state while amplifying messages from local, state, federal and tribal partners.
· Coordinated with the American Red Cross and local governments for evacuation centers as needed.
· Provided DEM liaisons to affected counties to ensure effective lines of communications directly with local emergency management officials.
· Worked with emergency managers for use of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts as needed.
· Coordinated with California and FEMA on cross-border efforts.
· Coordinated with NV Energy officials.
Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)
· NDOT conducted severe weather preparations on roadways, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.
· Disseminated current road condition to officials and the public.
Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF)
· Monitored the needs prepared to support with hand crews or the coordination of firefighting agencies.
Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH)
· Monitored the needs of local partners and prepared to support healthcare and public health needs.
Nevada State Police (NSP)
· Monitored the needs prepared to support with Department staff or coordination of local government law enforcement agencies.
Nevada National Guard (NVNG)
· Deployed 100 Nevada National Guard soldiers to support impacted counties. This includes high water vehicles, heavy machinery, and workforce.
· Extended their mission to support Mt. Charleston area with high water vehicle support.
Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA)
· Contacted agriculture producers to urge them to move livestock to higher ground.
Visit DEM’s website at dem.nv.gov to learn how to prepare for a disaster. Nevada is at risk for wildland fire, flood, earthquake, pandemic, and drought. Plan Ahead Nevada. Make a plan. Build a supply kit. Get involved. See something, say something.
