Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Gilbert Estrada, front, and Scott Chaney move sandbags Tuesday morning on Ash Canyon Road near North Winnie Lane. They had placed the bags Monday, but were asked to move them off the street to make way for snowplow access.
When the weather gets bad customers tend to stay away, but retailers still strive to make a clear path for those who brave the snow flurries and flash-flood warnings.
After the New Year's mud flood, Hanifin's Antiques owner Michael Robbins took it upon himself to clear out about six inches of muck around his North Carson Street business. On Tuesday afternoon he was watching the weather reports.
"The thing is, if rain comes on top of the snow it'll kill us," Robbins said. "That's what floods us. In all honesty, I don't have the knowledge to say if it'll be worse (than the New Year's flood) but I'm going to be ready for it."
He has hundreds of sandbags and water pumps ready for that occasion.
According to the National Weather Service, the flash flood potential today for the area is at nil, which means heavy rain is not expected. Floor Masters Carpet Cleaning & Repair pumped water out of 11 homes and businesses last time. Owner Joe Zich returned from vacation this week and has received calls from property managers concerned with his availability.
"We're a small company and if work needs to be done my guys know that I'm going to call them and they're going to be out," he said Tuesday.
Snow is expected to fall Thursday and Friday with rain. During the New Year's storm, water rushed down the slopes west of Carson City carrying with it soot and burned debris from the Waterfall fire, which burned more than a year-and-a-half ago.
Mary Shuler, who owns Mary's About Face & Body, said she is more confident about impending waves because of the city's quick response the first time. Water rushed over the sandbags around her door facing South Curry Street and flooded about three-quarters of her waiting room. She sustained about $1,000 in damages, which was covered by the building's owner.
Water diverted by barricades and sandbags along Curry Street and Carson Street pooled in downtown parking lots, such as at the Carson Mall and the Carson Station Hotel Casino. This strategy saved government buildings and the old historic downtown homes from major flood damage. Those separated from customers by an ocean that had once been a parking lot had to cope.
"We have all the sandbags that we had before," said Bill Howard, director of operations for the Carson Station. "Hopefully they're not going to divert water down our street like they did last time."
Carson Station had water coming in from Carson and Curry streets over New Year's weekend, which made the casino an island, accessible by a path made by sandbags. Most Carson Mall businesses closed that weekend because of the encroaching mud and water.
-- Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.
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