Friday, February 13, 2015

14 TOPAZ RANCH ESTATES IN NEVADA STILL ADDRESS DAMAGES IN LAST WEEK’S 90 MPH WINDSTORM








One of several homes in Topaz Ranch Estates damaged in Friday's 90 mph windstorm

WELLINGTON, NEVADA:



It's been nearly a week since the severe rain and windstorm hit our region, but neighbors at the Topaz Ranch Estates are still cleaning up and waiting for help. At least 14 homes, and counting, are severely damaged, according to Douglas County building official, Dave Lundergreen.
Wind gusts at the TRE reached well over 100 miles per hour on Friday. The area went without power for three days.

“[It was] pretty scary,” says Dylan Goldstein, a young neighbor. “The whole power was out and the bus driver wouldn't let me get off the bus because the power line fell down right in front of the house.”

The storm left a trail of destruction in its path, including Steven Nielsen’s home. Shingles flew off the roof, furniture flew away, and the wind so was strong, it moved his boat and damaged his house.

Nielsen knows the damage will add up.

"Probably $3,500, and another $1,000 dollars here,” he says pointing to different areas of his backyard.

Despite the damage to his home, it isn’t as bad as some of his neighbors.

“I'm lucky. I am. I feel very fortunate after driving up and down the streets here and talking to a lot of people,” Nielsen says.

One mobile home on Granite Way was split in half. Douglas county building officials have deemed the home uninhabitable, but it has been abandoned for many years.

Another home had its roof blown off and has a mud puddle in the middle of it. The owner left all the furniture outside to dry.

Lundergreen also says there aren’t not enough resources for clean up on private property. The responsibility is on the home owners and contractors.

But Nielsen says it's been difficult to get the rebuilding process going.

"I called the insurance company on Friday. They're so busy out here. They can't even have an adjuster out until next week," he says.

Many neighbors say their insurance companies have to fly in adjusters from out-of-state to meet demands.

So until the damage can be accessed, Nielsen says he’s just waiting.

Douglas county officials recommend owners and contractors to contact Douglas Community Development at 775-782-6224 if they would like an inspection to evaluate damage to a structure.

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As of Tuesday evening, Douglas County building inspectors had yet to post a property unsafe for occupation, though County Building Official Dave Lundergreen said it’s a work in progress.

“We are evaluating homes first and then accessory structures, barns and other uninhabited structures next after that,” he said. “(Tuesday) one of our inspectors identified 14 addresses in Topaz Ranch Estates that have significant damage or are in need of debris removal.”

He said that one house on Granite Way was destroyed, but that it was uninhabited before the windstorm.

Lundergreen said the county has been flooded with calls and questions from homeowners and insurance adjusters, mostly about fences and roofs.

Roofs with damage larger than 1,000 square feet require a building permit to repair, but owners are allowed to make emergency repairs before getting the permit, he said. Permits are available 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon on Friday at the department’s front counter in the Minden Inn.

Lundergreen said Douglas County does not regulate fences shorter than 6 feet in height. 

“No building permit is required but we do have a handout at our office on 1594 Esmeralda that shows typical fencing for front, side and rear yards,” he said. “We would ask that neighbors work together to address the damage to their common fences.”

Anyone with concerns or who would like an inspector to check the damage to their property should contact the building department at 782-6224.
On the other side of the county, the state closed the westbound tunnel of Cave Rock on Wednesday after heavy rains dislodged large boulders.

State maintenance crews removed the boulders from the roadway, some as large as 6-feet-wide just after the storm. 

The approximately $7,000 in emergency repairs removed potentially loose rocks from the roadside slope near the westbound Cave Rock tunnel entrance. 

The emergency repairs will be made by Hi-Tech Rockfall, considered an industry leader in rockfall reduction and slope stabilization.