Little chance of flooding in Carson area

Carson Valley residents got an early thaw after the last of a string of storms that hammered western Nevada this weekend fizzled.

Rain on Sunday combined with sunny skies Tuesday served to melt off much of the weekend's accumulations.

Runoff could translate into local flooding, according to Douglas County Communications Director Dick Mirgon, but little regional flooding.

Mirgon said that according to the National Weather Service, the ground-saturation levels are low and the reservoirs are not full.

However, flooding in Carson Valley is typically a result of the volume of water coming out of the canyons.

"This is looking more like the snowfalls in the early to mid-'80s when we had a little flooding in early spring," Mirgon said.

Areas near the Carson River, like Genoa's Willowbend, will probably bear the brunt of any flooding this season. Mirgon said no two floods separated by 10 years or more in the Carson Valley have been alike.

"The reason is development," he said. "A lot of dirt's been moved; there's more commercial property and roadways since the last flood.

"We would need to have several more storms and a quick thaw for a strong flood. Right now, we're dealing with more snow-related issues."