Evacuate everybody

In 2006 a large flood came down the Meadow Valley Wash into Moapa Valley, Nevada. This was not unusual, many floods have come down in the past. A local police sergeant put himself in charge and began ordering evacuations. I was awakened at 1 a.m. and told to go to the local evacuation center to help. Volunteers were sent throughout the town of Overton, Nevada, knocking on doors, waking people up and ordering them to evacuate.

When I asked where the flood was, I was told it was at Rocks, a railroad siding well up the Meadow Valley Wash. Floodwater will take at least 12 hours to reach Overton, from Rocks. So why were people being evacuated at 1 a.m.? good question. If an evacuation was actually needed, it could have easily and conveniently taken place in the light of day, hours later. Flood waters actually reached Overton at 5 pm that day, 16 hours after the evacuation order was given.

Furthermore, this police sergeant subsequently ordered the evacuation of residents around the high school. The high school sits well away from and above the Muddy River that flows past a corner of Overton. In the 130 year history of Moapa Valley, the river flood level had never come anywhere near the high school. So why was he evacuating people from that area? another really good question.

The alarm sent throughout Overton to evacuate forced the elderly, those in wheelchairs, diabetics and others with varying health issues, to evacuate, leave their homes, their vehicles, their animals, and flee to "safety" at the evacuation center.

This later proved to be an embarrassment to everyone because though the flood did flood a few low lying homes and some farmland, it did not destroy any property and threatened no one's safety. But many elderly were unnecessarily displaced, diabetics could not get to their insulin, and even some vehicles, which could have easily been driven to high ground, were lost because in the panic of the evacuation, were told to leave their vehicles which later were filled with mud and water.

Had no one ordered an evacuation, nothing would have changed, the river still would have flooded some areas, a few homes would have still been flooded, but abandoned animals would have been safely cared for, vehicles could have been safely moved, homeowners could have mitigated the damage by fighting the flood at their own properties, and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars could have been saved. The money spent helped no one, saved no one, and prevented no damage to property.