Emergency Management

The Nevada Division of Emergency Management/Homeland Security is urging Nevada residents to make an emergency supply kit to ensure families and businesses can sustain themselves during a disaster or emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you, so it’s vital to assemble a kit in advance to ensure you and your family’s safety.

Each week during National Preparedness Month, the division will promote one of the four easy steps to “Be Disaster Aware and Take Action.”

NPM Step 3: Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit

Gov. Brian Sandoval proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month in Nevada. The Nevada Division of Emergency Management/Homeland Security, and the Division of Public and Behavioral Health urges Nevadans to prepare for an emergency that would require self-reliance for three days without utilities and electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, household medical needs, and possibly without response from police, fire or rescue.

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners have requested a State of Emergency due to the cumulative series of flash floods that have taken place since July 20, 2014, in Douglas County. The cumulative series of floods has now exceeded the county’s resources, and the declaration will allow for help with repairing public infrastructure such as County Maintained roads, culverts, and drainage.

Douglas County Commissioners and Douglas County Emergency Management’s decision not to file a disaster declaration has come under question, been criticized, and created opportunities for much public comment and debate. The recent flash flood event in north eastern portion of the Johnson Lane, Central Johnson Lane, and Fish Springs areas of the county was a significant event that many would think would warrant a disaster declaration.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, Chairman of the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security, along with 16 voting members recently approved the funding allocations for Federal Fiscal Year 2014 Homeland Security Grant Program projects.

Cyber security, intel sharing, public information, operation coordination and communication are the five top priorities for 2014 determined by the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security, chaired by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Sandoval and 16 voting members made the list of five spending priorities, with cyber security being No. 1, using a $4.7 million grant by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that was secured by Nevada last week.

Nevada was awarded $4.7 million Wednesday in federal Homeland Security money for 2014, according to the state's Department of Public Safety.

The grant award, known as the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, goes to states that are considered the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that face the most significant threats. 

RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno’s Seismological Laboratory reports an ongoing swarm of earthquakes near Virginia City, Nev. since Tuesday, Jan. 21. To date, over 100 events have been located. Four have been larger than magnitude 3.0, in the past two days.

There have been no reports of damage. The larger events have been felt in Virginia City about 8 miles to the southwest and in Reno about 10 miles west of the swarm.

This week's Capital Crossfire with hosts Karl Neathammer and Shelly Aldean features a discussion on historical flooding in the region. "ARkStorms — Managing the Risk" features guests Jay Aldean, executive director of the Truckee River Flood Management Authority and Aaron Kenneston, Emergency Management Administrator for Washoe County.

Nevada's emergency management and Homeland Security divisions received federal government approval for their plans on how to handle either natural or manmade hazards that could affect the state, officials announced Tuesday.

Agencies and schools throughout Carson City will participate in an earthquake drill Thursday morning. Along with millions of people worldwide, Nevadans are encouraged to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” at 10:17 a.m. on Oct. 17 for the 2013 Great Nevada ShakeOut.

State agencies throughout the Carson City area, as well as the Public Health Preparedness Program of the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, the Nevada Division of Emergency Management, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources plan to participate in the earthquake drill.

With October designated National Cyber Security Awareness Month, state and federal agencies in Nevada will be recognizing efforts to protect citizens against attacks on computer networks and infrastructure.

The Nevada Division of Emergency Management/Homeland Security, Department of Administration/Enterprise IT Services, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance are all participating to increase awareness throughout the U.S. and, specifically Nevada.

The Nevada Department of Emergency Management building on Fairview Drive in Carson City was on lock down from 11:20 to 11:45 a.m., Thursday after a landscaping crew informed onsite officials that a man with a hooded sweatshirt jumped the security fence earlier in the morning, Nevada Guard spokesman Dennis Fournier said. No such person was found.

On Saturday, September 14, Carson City Emergency Management and Health and Human Services are excited to partner with the Carson City Home Depot for a special event in celebration of Get Ready Day.

From 8 am-3 pm on Saturday, representatives Carson City readiness agencies will be at the Home Depot on Market Street in Carson City to distribute bags and basic supplies for readiness kits and to answer questions that people may have about what to include in their kits.

This Thursday evening photo was taken in the backyard of Dayton resident Janet Baker. Lyon County Office of Emergency Management urges citizens with respiratory illness to stay indoors. Citizens should use caution when physically exerting themselves in this smokey environment. Please check on those that you know that are elderly, young and/or have health issues.

Officials anticipate these conditions to exist for the next couple of days.

Nevada-Douglas County Emergency Management and The Bureau of Pollution Control are closely monitoring air quality concerns from smoke conditions drifting into the valley from the Rim Fire in Tuolumne County, according to a Douglas County news release.

The Rim Fire was estimated at nearly 54,000 acres as of 7 a.m. Thursday morning, up from 16,000 acres on Wednesday. The most recent air samples from this afternoon put the current air quality in the upper end of the "moderate" level in the Carson Valley, the news release states.

With the Bison Fire reaching 65 percent containment by Wednesday afternoon, fire officials have notified the Lyon County Office of Emergency Management that it can lift the evacuation in Smith Valley.

The Incident Command Post has confirmed with Lyon County officials that it is safe for evacuees to return, said County Manager Jeff Page.

Firefighters worked the fire along a ridge above the evacuated homes early Wednesday. The weather forecast calls for evening thunderstorms and dry lightning, said BLM spokeswoman Dorothy Harvey.

More than 1,060 firefighters continued efforts Tuesday battling the Bison Fire in the Pine Nut Mountains east of Gardnerville, which has prompted a voluntary evacuation of the Pipeline Canyon area in Lyon County. As of early Tuesday evening, the fire has burned 25,733 acres and is 25 percent contained.

The Bison Fire burning in Douglas County grew to 25,733 acres by early Tuesday morning, with 25 percent containment and Douglas County declaring a state of emergency to allow for more resources. More than 700 personnel are assigned to the fire.

Overnight the fire burned actively from the north side until about 3 a.m. the on the northeast and southeast sides. The night crews were able to make significant progress, said Lisa Ross, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management.

Great Basin Management Type 2 Team, operating under Incident Commander Mike Whalen, reports fire fighters made progress today even though the fire increased in size to 21,337 acres, with almost all of the acreage increase on the north side of the incident. The fire is now 25-percent contained with a revised full containment target date of July 15.

The Lyon County Office of Emergency Management has been notified by the unified command of the Bison Fire burning in the Pine Nut Mountain Range in Douglas County about the behavior of the wildfire, the direction it is heading and smoke and flames visible to residents in Smith Valley and Wellington.

The National Weather Service in Reno has implemented a weather text alert system for smart phones. A number of Carson Now readers have said they've gotten text message alerts already, the first being a dust storm from Monday. Here's the skinny:

UPDATE 10:30AM MONDAY: The Sierra Front Type 3 team battling the Pedlar Fire in Silver City took control of the fire at 11 p.m. Sunday night. As of 7:30 Monday morning the fire was 75 percent contained, according to the latest from Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch. Highway 341 from Highway 50 to the truck route "Y"was reopened. Highway 342 from the "Y' through Silver City to Virginia City will remain closed this morning.

The Nevada Division of Emergency Management issued a statement today regarding a heat wave that will grip the Silver State through the weekend and into next week as well as providing instructions for residents and visitors of how to beat the heat.
Read the statement below:

As Northern Nevada braces for a heat wave through the weekend, the Lyon County Office of Emergency Management has been advised by the National Weather Service to expect high temperatures 100 degrees or more.

Lyon County urges residents to prepare for the weekend with this comprehensive list:

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory has located 122 earthquakes in a continuing sequence of activity located on the southeastern edge of Carson City, Nevada.

CARSON CITY — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded Nevada's Department of Public Safety Emergency Management a $3.4 million grant, an increase of $700,000 given to the state in a similar grant awarded in 2012, officials announced Tuesday.

“I am pleased Nevada has been awarded this grant, with an increase,” said Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. “I thank Secretary Napolitano for her work and I thank NDEM for facilitating work around the state to ensure that these funds are applied to areas of importance that Nevada public safety officials deem critical.”

This week's guest on Women to Women Nevada is Christina Conti, public health emergency response coordinator for the Washoe County Health District.

Conti discusses achievement, decision-making, and balancing career and family. She also details her work in emergency management, as well as her volunteer coordinating work with the Washoe County Domestic Violence Task Force.

Cybersecurity, prevention, community planning, intelligence and public information are among 10 priorities outlined by the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security for future funding, officials announced Friday.
Gov. Brian Sandoval and 16 voting members of the Commission made the recommendations, according to a news release.
Below is the release:

UPDATE 1:45PM: Eagle Valley Creek in Carson City went above its flood stage just before 1 pm this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. A flood warning remains in effect until 6:15 p.m. for urban areas and small streams in Carson City and western Douglas County.

***
A powerful winter storm continues to move through Carson City this morning bringing wind and rain and assorted localized power outages to the area.
Carson City remains under a Flood Warning as is much of western Nevada from Reno to Douglas County, Lake Tahoe, Virginia City and Storey County. Anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain is possible for the foothills and valley floors.