Pahrump Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management Scott Lewis has issued a warning about very severe wind conditions descending upon the Pahrump Valley beginning tonight.
Lewis said he was contacted by National Weather Service officials who indicated that the area will experience a substantial wind event in the early evening hours of Wednesday Feb. 24. Winds could surpass 60 mph in the Spring Mountains with 45 mph gusts in Pahrump.
“It’s a little atypical with that wind event because most of the time, the winds come out of the north, so the winds literally goes linear within the valley, but this particular wind event will go perpendicular, so a lot of high profile vehicles and materials that would normally not be impacted as much, could adversely be impacted by these winds crossing over the highway, so we will be preparing for that.”
Lewis also expressed concern about families and individuals who do not have adequate shelter, at present.
“We are also concerned about our homeless population, and we are concerned about high-profile buildings that are on the east side of Highway 160 including a lot of government buildings,” he said. “We also have a solar plant that we are concerned about, so there’s a lot of things to think about. We are getting the messaging out through our Public Information Officer Arnold Knightly, and also, the weather service is assisting us with the 511 alert notification, and we are making as many notifications to those stakeholders in that particular corridor to the best of our ability.”
Additionally, Lewis provided advice to area residents, in relation to the severe wind event.
“At home, residents should make sure items and personal property are secured to prevent flying objects,” he advised. “They also want to make sure that their mobile-structures are tied down. We don’t want to see any unnecessary injuries to people or their pets. People should just take every precaution if possible. If anyone sees anything that is out of the ordinary, they should call 911 immediately.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes
This story was updated to reflect that gusts over 60 mph could occur in the upper elevations with Pahrump area winds reaching up to 45 mph for gusts.