© Wells Rural Electric Co.Fallen branches such as this one in Carlin were reported to have damaged vehicles, houses and power lines Tuesday.
In Elko and Carlin there were reports of damage to houses, cars, fences and power lines between Monday night and Tuesday morning—largely due to fallen tree branches. The entire Carlin community was without power for most of the day.
"The wet snow and overnight snowfall has caused several trees to fall on our lines and become entangled in our lines," Garrett Hylton, director of communications for Wells Rural Electric Company, told the Free Press on Tuesday.
Schools in Carlin were closed for the day, and Spring Creek schools were released two hours early. Spring Creek residents also experienced intermittent power outages.
"We had what we call a 'floater,'" said NV Energy Communications Manager Faye Anderson.
A line became detached from an insulator and was blowing in the wind, causing the power to flicker out in some areas.
Meanwhile in Elko, Fire Chief Matt Griego said his team responded to 18 incidents of trees damaging power lines or causing an electric arc. All of these calls came in between 9:45 p.m. Monday and 4 a.m. Tuesday.
The National Weather Service reported a record snowfall of 3.6 inches was set at the Elko Regional Airport Tuesday. This breaks the old record of 2.4 inches for that date, set in 1957.
The weather service recorded total snowfall of 5.2 inches at the Elko Regional Airport as of late Tuesday afternoon. Preliminary estimates for Spring Creek and Lamoille were between 6 and 11 inches. In Carlin, it was estimated between 8 and 10 inches.
"That heavy, wet snow is just a tremendous weight on those branches," Griego said.
No major structural damage was reported. However, about 155 Elko customers were without power for several hours early Tuesday morning. Blown fuses were replaced after tree branches struck power lines in the tree streets, Anderson said.
A handful of customers on Sage Avenue were still experiencing outages late Tuesday afternoon after snowfall built up on trees during the day, she said.
Elko police and multiple City departments assisted in cleaning up fallen branches from streets.
The majority of Carlin customers had restored power by Tuesday afternoon, with help from most of the Wells Rural Electric crews on duty, as well as some electricians and contractors.
"When it's an outage like this, it's not just a matter of faulty equipment," Hylton said. "... It's a big job."
Crews were required to clear the trees before the lines could be restrung, he said.
In Ruby Valley, five power poles were knocked down, leaving the northern part of the valley without power. The exact cause is unknown. Power was expected to be back on Tuesday night.
The storm also affected travel on Northern Nevada roads. For much of the day, chains or snow tires were required on State Route 228 or the Jiggs Highway from milepost 10.9 in Elko County to milepost 24.6, according to Nevada Department of Transportation. They were also required on State Route 278 south from Carlin to milepost 38, and on State Route 225 from milepost 54.4 to milepost 111.2.
On Interstate 80, westbound lanes were shut down early Tuesday because of a jack-knifed semi at milepost 277 west of Carlin.
Aftermath of the storm
For Public Works Director Dennis Strickland, Tuesday was a long day. His department was out working to clear city streets of trees and snow beginning at around 1:30 a.m.
"We've had several departments chipping in to help," Strickland said.
© Heather Kennison, Elko Daily Free Press
The City is responsible for cleaning up tree branches and limbs within the public right-of-way. Property owners are responsible for what has fallen on their own property. Strickland estimated cleanup to continue over the next couple of days.
The storm came at a bad time for the Parks and Recreation department, which was still trying to winterize irrigation systems. The Elko Main City Park was littered with debris from trees Tuesday.
Parks and Recreation Director James Wiley said the City's first task was to cut down hanging and dangling branches that created a safety hazard.
He has dedicated crews and contracted Creico Enterprises to continue cleanup the rest of the week.
"It's our top priority right now," Wiley said.
Most of the branches will be taken to the landfill, but some will be chipped.
Saturday is the City's semi-annual "Take Pride in Elko" day, where large, bulky items and yard waste from personal and public property may be brought to the landfill at no charge between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
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