The Brauns dig out their house with the help of their neighbors.
While having cleared 2,000 cubic yards of material from around their property after an Aug. 4 flood, Casey and Larry Braun’s Foothill home remains red-tagged, according to a post on the gofundme page to help them clean up.
Friends and neighbors have been helping them clear out the decomposed granite that washed down Fay Canyon and into the back of their home overlooking Carson Valley.
On Sunday, organizer Daunelle Wulstein said an in-person fundraiser for the couple is 3 p.m. Sept. 17 at Testa Motor Sports in Minden.
The couple is also waiting to find out from the U.S. Forest Service whether the drainage above their home is stable.
On Tuesday, Casey Braun said the couple is hopeful they’ll get some answers about their home this weekend.
Eastern Alpine Fire Chief Terry Hughes has expressed concern early on that the mountain above Horsethief Circle that begins in Nevada and ends in California might continue to slide.
“There is still much more dirt to be removed before they can even think about returning to their home, which is still red-tagged,” Wulstein said. “Some sheetrock needs to be replaced, flooring needs to be redone, and appliances destroyed by the landslide need to be replaced. They are waiting on Alpine County engineers to survey and assess the damage, as well as the Forest Service to advise on the future stability of the mountain.”
Just over 3 inches of rain fell less than two miles of the Brauns’ home, according to Fredericksburg resident Jeff Garvin.
That rain on the steep canyon sent water and decomposed granite into Braun home and left deep canyons in driveways in the tiny enclave of Alpine homes that overlooks Carson Valley.
As much as 6 feet of material buried the Brauns RV up to near the top.
The couple has lived in the home for 18 years, and this is the first time they’ve seen anything like this.
The house is still red-tagged and they are waiting for the Forest Service to assess the future stability of Fay Canyon up above them.
There’s a fundraiser scheduled for 3 p.m. Sept. 17 at Testa Motor Sports or you can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-brauns-recover-from-fay-luther-landslide
Because the mudslide is considered flooding, the only insurance that would have helped is provided by FEMA.
That’s something Johnson Lane residents found out in 2014 and 2015 when heavy rain fell onto Hot Springs Mountain sending dirt and debris into their homes.
Meanwhile, work on Highway 89 west of Markleeville continues from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. The road will be open in both directions 4 p.m. Thursday and will remain open through the Labor Day weekend. The southbound lane of Highway 89 will close again on Sept. 7.
According to CalTrans, work is continuing to shore up the southbound lane that suffered some damage in the Aug. 3 washout.
