Kevin Clifford/Nevada Appeal Water, mud and debris rush under Curtis Horton's truck while he tries to survey the damage on the Mexican Dam Road from minor mudslides due to the downpour Tuesday evening. Horton is the senior operations chief of Carson City's Development Services-Public Works Division.
A thunder-and-lightning storm that struck Northern Nevada about 5 p.m. Tuesday wreaked havoc on Carson and Douglas counties for some three hours, causing flash flooding and tree fires.
The National Weather Service in Reno issued an urban and small-stream flood advisory for Storey, west central Lyon, south central Washoe and Douglas counties and Carson City about 5:30 p.m.
The weather service Doppler radar indicated very heavy rain falling east of Reno and Carson City along the Virginia and Pine Nut mountain ranges.
A tree fire started by lightning south of Clear Creek was extinguished by 8 p.m.
The fire was reported at 6 p.m. east of Highway 50 on Old Clear Creek Road between Costco and the break in the jersey wall in the highway.
Also in Douglas County, lightning knocked out power to the dispatch center for a short time and struck a power pole on East Valley Road.
Flash flooding on Mexican Dam Road prevented through traffic for about two hours and flooded at least one yard on Piñon Hills Drive in east Carson City near the Carson River.
City public works crews cleared the roadway.
A tree fire on Sherman Lane about 7:20 p.m. was extinguished by Carson City firefighters.
