Washoe County ratifies emergency declaration after Hidden Valley flash flood; officials outline mitigation and aid steps

The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners unanimously ratified a June 19, 2026 emergency declaration tied to a Hidden Valley flash flood that brought debris flows and substantial property impacts.

County Manager Kate Thomas told the board the declaration (issued under Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 414 and Washoe County Code 65.320) enables county staff to access state and federal resources and exercise emergency powers. Emergency management staff and the Community Services Department described an immediate multi-agency response that included city partners and volunteer organizations.

Emergency manager Kelli Tiberia said Hidden Valley received roughly two inches of rain in an hour, which produced debris flows that damaged property and infrastructure; she said the declaration was issued to open avenues for state support and, if combined regional impacts meet thresholds, federal assistance and FEMA engagement. "We did that because it opens us up for support and resources," she said.

Ira Crump of the county's Community Services Department reported response statistics and priorities: more than 1,900 crew labor hours to date, nearly $200,000 in crew response costs, 5,400 tons of mud and debris removed, and 78 drainage inlets cleared. Crump said the first priority was reestablishing safe ingress and egress and clearing storm drains to reduce the chance of repeated impacts.

Residents urged direct assistance to homeowners, not just infrastructure repair. Claudia Townsend and Eric Disbrow asked the county to pursue all available grant programs (including FEMA individual assistance, HUD community development block grant–disaster recovery and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program) and to include homeowner assistance where allowable. Deborah Wilson, a Hidden Valley resident and insurance agent, said mudflow damage is not covered by available flood policies and emphasized the limits of private insurance for many neighbors.

Emergency staff said the county is diligently tracking costs and combining its estimates with regional impacts to meet thresholds for public-assistance and individual-assistance declarations; in the interim the county is coordinating with volunteer groups such as the American Red Cross and Team Rubicon to assist affected households. Vice Chair Garcia encouraged residents to share GoFundMe pages or other local fundraising links with county staff so the county can circulate them to help neighbors while formal assistance is pursued.

Commissioner Hill moved to ratify the county manager’s declaration and Vice Chair Garcia seconded; the board approved the ratification unanimously. Chair Andriola and staff committed to host community meetings and continue public updates on perimetermap.com and emergencywashoe.com.