The Latest: Hundreds of homes evacuated in Reno flood

SPARKS, Nev. – The Latest on the flooding in northern Nevada (all times local PST):

8:50 p.m.

A wet winter storm in the Sierra has triggered mudslides closing parts of major highways north and west of Lake Tahoe, and shut down dozens of roads in the Reno-Tahoe area where flooding has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

More than 1,000 residents voluntarily evacuated one south Reno neighbourhood where drainage ditches started overflowing early Sunday afternoon.

All westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Donner Lake west of Truckee, California were closed indefinitely Sunday night because of a large mudslide. The westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 50 near Kyburz also were blocked.

Washoe County spokeswoman Nancy Leuenhagen said nearly 400 dwellings had been evacuated in the Reno area and hundreds of people were expected to be housed overnight in emergency shelters.

Reno police have closed all bridges crossing the Truckee River in the downtown casino district.

Nearly 5 inches of rain has fallen in the Galena Creek area southwest of Reno and more than 4 inches north of town.

The worst is expected during the Monday morning commute along the I-80 corridor between Reno and Sparks, where the Truckee River is expected to crest about 10 feet above flood stage.

The University of Nevada, Reno and all area schools cancelled classes Monday. Gov. Brian Sandoval is urging all non-essential state employees impacted by the flood to stay home.

3:30 p.m.

More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated in Reno as much of the Sierra’s eastern front braces for the worst flooding in a decade.

Emergency officials say residents voluntarily evacuated a total of 1,300 homes in a south Reno neighbourhood Sunday as the Truckee River began to leave its banks and drainage ditches started to overflow south of Interstate 80.

Many area roads have been closed, but no injuries have been reported.

The National Weather Service says the storm that has already dropped several inches of rain in the area is tracking pretty much as they expected.

Truckee River flows should peak about 2 feet above flood stage in downtown Reno by Sunday evening.

They are forecast to crest about 6 feet above flood stage Monday morning in neighbouring Sparks, where several feet of water is expected to flood an industrial area where 25,000 people work.

Schools are closed throughout the Reno-Sparks area on Monday. Authorities say they expect Reno-Tahoe International Airport to remain open.

The flood warning continues into Tuesday.

___

11:15 a.m.

Northern Nevada authorities are closing flood-prone roads and bridges in the Reno-Sparks area as they brace for what’s forecast to be the region’s worst flooding in more than a decade.

Reno police closed three low-lying bridges across the Truckee River in the downtown casino district late Saturday.

State troopers plan to close at least two Interstate 80 off-ramps on the east edge of Sparks early Sunday afternoon.

That’s in an area where about 5 feet of water rushed into the Sparks Industrial area in the winter of 2005-2006.

The Truckee River is expected to begin to overflow Sunday afternoon in both Reno and Sparks, where a flood warning continues into Tuesday.

The river’s expected to crest in Reno about 2 feet above flood stage late Sunday or Monday, and about 6 feet above flood stage in Sparks Monday morning.