Reno Reporter

Washoe County Emergency Management is opening a County-managed and Red Cross-supported warming center at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center located at 4590 S Virginia St. in Reno for residents without power, as the region faces a continued period of cold temperatures. While NV Energy hopes to have a large number of customers’ power restored by the end of today, full restoration could take until Tuesday, January 3.

The warming center will open tonight at 6 p.m. at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Canteen services including coffee, tea, water, and snacks will be available, along with opportunities to charge cell phones and other devices. Washoe County Regional Animal Services is providing water and a few crates for any pets that may need to warm up as well. The Convention Center will be available for use as a warming center through January 3 at 6 p.m.  

Additionally, The Row and Peppermill Reno are offering discounted rates with no resort fee to those without power. Use booking code “SNOW23” to receive the special rate at The Row and “HSNO” at the Peppermill. Be prepared to show a local ID. 

Residents who have heat are asked to shelter in place. Check in on family, friends and neighbors, especially if they are elderly or if you think their power might be out. Those without power should consider staying with friends or family if that option exists. 

While crews continue working around the clock, removing snow and debris from the roadways, emergency managers recommend staying off the road, if possible. If travel is unavoidable, dial 511 or visit nvroads.com to check Nevada state road conditions before driving. 

Other winter safety reminders 

• If you must travel, prepare for long delays and carry an emergency kit with extra food, water and clothing. 
• Make a family disaster plan and emergency kit for floods, earthquakes and fires.
• Have a supply of non-perishable foods, medicine, baby supplies and pet food, as well as one gallon of water per person per day.
• Keep anything that can burn at least 3-feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, outdoor use or portable space heater. Have a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use gas-powered appliances or other appliances intended for outdoor use indoors. 
• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed and never use an extension cord or power strip to power them. 
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Never use a portable generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds or similar areas. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO) can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off. 
• Use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns if available. If you must use candles, make sure the area is ventilated since candles emit combustion products and, if left unattended, can be a fire hazard.
• Keep pets inside. If left outdoors, pets can freeze, become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured or killed. In addition, don’t leave pets alone in a car during cold weather.
• Consider all downed power lines as live and dangerous. If you see one, stay away and call 911 and NV Energy to report.

Emergency managers at the Cities of Reno, Sparks and Washoe County are working collaboratively to address constituents’ needs. Officials will continue monitoring the National Weather Service’s forecast and power outages, and extend warming-center operations as needed. For ongoing updates, visit emergencywashoe.com. 

Original source can be found here.