fema

Every day we wash our dishes, fill our water glass, and flush the toilet, likely without thinking much about the systems required to make this all possible. I’d like to think we are doing our job so you don’t have to think too much about it.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe has been awarded $1,462,702.50 in SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In an announcement of Round 4 awardees, South Lake Tahoe was named a recipient.

Funds will go to hire seven new firefighters in preparation for opening Fire Station 2 in the Al Tahoe neighborhood.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's been almost one year since the Lake Tahoe Humane Society (LTHS) fired their former Executive Director Niki Congero amid allegations of embezzlement. For months, South Lake Tahoe Police detectives worked through piles of paperwork and film, completing the case for the El Dorado County District Attorney in December. Since then, the case has been in the hands of the DA's office, but nothing has happened yet.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans for some California private nonprofit organizations. The federal government is offering assistance after the severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides hit the state Jan. 3-12, 2017.

The eligible nonprofits must provide essential services of a governmental nature.

Douglas County Emergency Management is currently working on managing the current flooding in the Stephanie and Johnson Lane areas of Douglas County.

The State Damage Assessment Teams went out to the affected areas on Thursday to determine the amount of damage to public infrastructure as well as attempting to determine private property damage following state and FEMA damage assessment criteria. The County hopes to have this report completed as soon as possible.

Last summer's flash floods in Douglas County caused $927,205 in damage, far below the federal minimum of $3,753,710 needed in order to receive federal assistance.

While Douglas County Emergency Management had requested that due to the close timing of these events (July 20, July 30, Aug. 6 and Aug. 11) the state consider combining all damage under one event, FEMA regulations do not allow for combining damage costs of multiple events.

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for Douglas County Sheriff. We will be posting them in the order received.

1) What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department?

CARSON CITY – A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed slight but continued improvement through the second quarter of 2012, a federal report released today shows.
Called the U-6 rate, it declined in Nevada from 22.3 percent in the four quarters through March 31 to 22.1 percent in the 12 months ending June 30, according to the quarterly report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CARSON CITY — A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed slight but continued improvement through the first quarter of 2012, a federal report released today shows.
The rate in Nevada dropped from 22.7 percent in the four quarters through Dec. 31, 2011, to 22.3 percent through March 31, according to the quarterly report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

View Washoe Drive Fire (1/19/2012) in a larger map

UPDATE 10PM: Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said tonight the Washoe Drive Fire has consumed and estimated 3,700 acres, burned at least 20 structures and has resulted in one fatality.
Hernandez would not go into details of how the person died. He said the 250+ firefighters on the scene have stopped the forward progress of the fire. He said the fire started in the East Lake area, and then followed the Highway 395 corridor north, where it was stopped just south of Galena High School.
Highway 395 will be closed until further notice due to damage to debris and damage to guard rails, power poles and other item near the roadway. Gov. Brian Sandoval told state workers who commute by this route to stay home Friday. Evacuations have been lifted for the Galena area. About 2,000 people are still unable to go back to their homes tonight.
Hernandez said firefighters saved more than 800 homes that were in the path of this destructive fire.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
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UPDATE 9PM: Reno Fire officials report forward progress on Washoe Drive fire has stopped. Fire behavior is moderating due to diminishing winds, lowering termperatures and increasing humidity/moisture moving over the Sierra Nevada/Carson Range. Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 10,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.

U.S. Highway-395 remains closed between 1.8 miles north of Carson City to the Junction of SR 341/431 (Mt. Rose Junction) in south Reno. U.S. Highway 395 could remained closed on Friday (1/20) through the morning commute - make alternate plans.
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At 4:40 pm Thursday, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.”
Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.

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