Carson City crews gauging extent of flood damage

Carson City is taking the current break in winter weather to address the recovery process.

Public Works is leading damage assessment teams, which are comprised of Public Works, Parks, Recreation and Open Space, Fire Department and State Division of Emergency Management assessors to evaluate the damage inflicted across the city. Parks, homes, trails and infrastructure, like sidewalks and roads.

In the last several weeks, Carson City has seen a pattern of freeze-thaw temperatures which resulted in pavement cracks and previously filled potholes to break apart and raise, allowing water to enter the sub-pavement. The recent snow and flooding conditions, along with heavy truck and snow plow traffic, broke away the raised areas, causing potholes. The city is assembling crews to improve the damaged roads as quickly as possible.

As damage assessment teams evaluate loss throughout the city, they’re mapping areas of concern. Repairs will soon begin in all identified areas, depending on several factors including severity, upcoming weather and workload priority.

In the meantime, here’s what drivers can do to avoid potholes and/or damage to their cars:

Properly inflated tires hold up better against potholes than tires that have too much or too little air.

If you can’t avoid a pothole, slow down before you hit it, but don’t brake directly over a pothole. Roll slowly through it, holding the steering wheel firmly.

Slow down and leave room between you and the vehicle ahead of you. A great practice normally, but extra space makes it more likely you’ll see an upcoming hazard.

Use caution when driving over a puddle of water or snow because it might be a pothole in hiding.

Public Works urges residents and visitors to use caution while driving on the following streets, which have been identified for repair:

W. Washington Street, Mountain Street, Fairview Drive, Carson Street, W. Winnie Lane, Stewart Street, and Saliman Street.

Additionally, due to flooding the Carson City landfill is closed. The facility will resume normal operations on Monday, when it will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Carson City is expecting a quiet weather weekend through Monday. High and fast-moving water is still flowing in the Carson River, and banks have seen considerable erosion, making them unstable.

The National Weather Service is predicting a milder atmospheric river in the area next week, and any additional rainfall has the potential to subject Carson City to additional flooding due to extremely saturated grounds.