Being prepared makes a difference to residents

The wind came, then the rain and then the snow, but for most Carson City residents threatened by flooding from this week's storms, the worry and fear did not.

As water sluiced from Ash Creek and rose along the river banks, residents sandbagged and prepared for the worst Mother Nature could bring. It didn't come. But they, and Carson City, were ready.

The city's efforts to protect people and property were obvious. Mary Shuler, of Mary's About Face & Body, 209 S. Curry St., on Monday placed plastic sheeting and sandbags in front of her door.

"I had a sense of not worrying about it because they were so on top of it," she said. "They had an awareness because of what happened the first time, and they were prepared."

Others along Curry Street, where water reached 5 feet above street level during the New Year's Eve flooding, are saying the city did a good job cleaning up.

Much of the water from the westside canyons was directed to the Carson Station and the Carson Mall parking lots, which are both on South Carson Street. The mall parking lot is a low point for that area. Carson Station got most of the water and mud diverted from the downtown historic district. Business owners understand why water flowed in their direction, even though it was an inconvenience and caused some damage.

It seems the city fathers listened to the weather reports, considered the threat, and acted. And action is what it takes to make a difference.

We're not saying the city neglected to act on the New Year's flooding; we're saying they learned something. They were better prepared this time, and it shows, and it is appreciated by residents who suffer the most when government isn't prepared to act.

Lack of action from local, state and federal governments in response to last summer's hurricanes have kept Gulf Coast residents from their homes months later. While the scope of flooding in Northern Nevada can't truly be compared to the devastation wreaked by Katrina and Rita, we can trust that those we count on will come through when needed.