The National Weather Service in Reno issued a Nevada tornado warning Thursday afternoon for parts of Storey, Washoe and Lyon counties. It was scheduled to stay in effect until 2:15 p.m. for Storey County, Southern Washoe County and North-central Lyon County as severe storms moved across western Nevada.
Derby Dam to Fernley
At 1:37 p.m., the weather service said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was near Derby Dam and moving east at 15 mph. The storm was expected to remain near Derby Dam around 1:40 p.m. and reach Fernley around 1:55 p.m., putting Wadsworth and Fernley-Tiger Field Airport in the warning area.
The warning listed tornadoes and quarter-size hail as the primary hazards. Radar also indicated hail up to 1 inch in diameter, along with dangerous flying debris and damage to mobile homes, roofs, windows, vehicles and trees.
Washoe and Lyon warnings
The tornado warning followed an earlier severe thunderstorm report at 1:32 p.m., when the weather service said a storm near Derby Dam was moving northeast at 5 mph and could produce golf ball-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph. The severe thunderstorm warning remained in effect until 2 p.m. for Storey County, South central Washoe County and Northern Lyon County.
That same storm system carried several hazards at once. While the tornado warning focused on rotating storms, the weather service also issued a flash flood warning for Storey County and South-central Washoe County until 4:15 p.m. and said heavy rain had already produced between 0.8 and 1.5 inches in the warned area.
Reno area flooding
The flash flood warning included Reno, Sparks, Lockwood, Hidden Valley, Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Mustang and Patrick. The service said flooding was ongoing or expected to begin shortly, and it later issued a flood advisory for Storey and southern Washoe counties, including the greater Reno area, until 3:45 p.m. because of excessive rainfall.
Residents in the warning area were told to move immediately to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and stay away from windows. For people in Storey County, Southern Washoe County and North-central Lyon County, the immediate next step was to stay inside and away from glass while the storm moved through.
The unresolved question after the warnings was whether the storm produced a tornado or damage in Storey, Washoe or Lyon counties. Until the warning expired at 2:15 p.m., the weather service was treating the area as one where tornado, hail and flooding threats could overlap in a matter of minutes.
