In 2017, families in Lemmon Valley watched water rush into their homes, destroy property, and turn daily life upside down. For many, it wasn’t just a flood — it was a breaking point. Homes were damaged, questions went unanswered, and residents were left wondering how something so devastating could happen with so little accountability.
Seven years later, many of those same questions still linger.
I didn’t walk away when the headlines faded. I stayed.
What Went Wrong
The flooding in Lemmon Valley was not simply the result of heavy weather. It was the outcome of infrastructure failures, poor planning, and government decisions that didn’t fully consider how water moves through our communities. Over time, residents learned that drainage systems were inadequate, mitigation plans were incomplete, and environmental testing lacked transparency.
I spent years reviewing public documents, environmental test results, infrastructure proposals, and county meeting records. I attended meeting after meeting — often the only resident consistently showing up — asking the same questions families were asking at home:
Why did this happen?
Who made these decisions?
And what will prevent it from happening again?
Too often, residents were dismissed or told to wait. But flooding doesn’t wait. It destroys homes, livelihoods, and peace of mind.
What I Learned
Real flood protection requires long-term solutions, not temporary patches. It requires transparency, accountability, and leadership that is willing to listen to residents who live with the consequences of these decisions every day.
Through years of advocacy, I learned that government works best when it works with the community — not around it.
How We Fix It
As a Washoe County Commissioner, my priorities are clear:
- Invest in real, long-term flood mitigation — not short-term fixes
- Ensure environmental testing is accurate, transparent, and publicly available
- Strengthen oversight of infrastructure decisions that affect water flow
- Advocate for funding that protects vulnerable neighborhoods before disaster strikes
Flooding isn’t a seasonal inconvenience. It’s a community emergency. And it deserves leadership that understands the problem from the ground up — because they’ve lived it alongside their neighbors
