This afternoon, Governor Joe Lombardo amended his declaration of emergency to include additional areas that have been impacted by the ongoing severe weather in northern Nevada. Areas now impacted by the weather include: Carson City, Churchill County, Douglas County, Esmeralda County, Elko County, Eureka County, Humboldt County, Lincoln County, Lyon County, Mineral County, Nye County, Storey County, Washoe County, Walker River Paiute Tribe, White Pine County, Yerington Paiute Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe.

In addition to recognizing all of the counties and tribes who have issued emergency declarations to date, this amendment directs the Nevada Department of Transportation to formally request assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program. Furthermore, this amendment authorizes the Lincoln County Commission to compel mandatory evacuations on account of potential flooding that may occur should one or more of the dams in Lincoln County breach.

Beginning on Thursday, March 9, severe weather has brought heavy rainfall, flooding, rockslides, avalanches, and infrastructure damage to northern Nevada. As severe weather conditions continue, further flooding and infrastructure damage are anticipated throughout the region. Governor Lombardo’s declaration of emergency will enable impacted areas to continue to receive state and federal assistance as they work to protect citizens and repair damage from the storms.

Yesterday, Governor Lombardo and First Lady Donna Lombardo went on an aerial tour of some of the areas impacted by the recent rain and flooding in northern Nevada with the Nevada National Guard and the Nevada Department of Emergency Management (DEM).

The flight, operated by the Nevada National Guard, covered the Carson River, Walker River, Smith Valley, Walker Canyon, and Mason Valley, before stopping in Yerington. In Yerington, Governor Lombardo, Major General Ondra Berry, and DEM Chief Dave Fogerson met with Lyon County partners, including County Manager Andrew Haskin, County Emergency Manager Taylor Allison, Lyon County Sheriff Brad Pope, and Commissioners Dave Hockaday and Wes Henderson. Following the stop in Lyon County, the flight continued to Weeks Bridge, Lahontan Dam, and to Six Mile Canyon and Highway 50.

In a video with Major General Berry and Chief Fogerson, Governor Lombardo praised the state’s ongoing response efforts, saying, “Plan. Prepare. Prevent. Recover. That’s exactly what we’ve done as a state. It’s what we’ve prepared ourselves to do in an event like this.”