Las Vegas Paving workers repair the northbound lanes of Interstate 15 near Moapa Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. About 1 mile of freeway was severely damaged by runoff from Monday’s storm. The Nevada Department of Transportation expects to have two lanes open by the weekend, a spokesman said.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014 | 4:35 p.m.
The federal government has pledged $1.5 million to aid in repair costs for Interstate 15 near Moapa, and Clark County commissioners declared a state of emergency because of severe flooding earlier this month.
The Clark County Commission today unanimously approved a resolution to make the declaration due to the impact of the severe flooding in Moapa Valley, Sandy Valley and nearby areas Sept. 8, according to a news release from the county.
The declaration will allow the county to apply for federal and state aid to help with damage, repair and cleanup costs.
Sen. Harry Reid announced hours before the approval that the federal government will help cover some of the $5 million in repairs to the damaged portion of the interstate.
Gov. Brian Sandoval declared a state of emergency Sept. 9 for Clark County and the Moapa Band of Paiutes Reservation, just one day after the severe weather damaged the interstate, homes and other roads.
The state and county declarations are independent of each other but both are formal steps that will aid the county as it seeks additional financial assistance, according to Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling.
For the county to be eligible for federal cost-reimbursement, the flooding must have caused at least $6.8 million in damage, the statement said.
Representatives of the county, state and Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration have toured areas affected by the flooding. A damage assessment team with representatives from the county, state and federal governments said Thursday that nearly 140 homes in the Moapa Valley region were damaged due to the weather.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy