A canal levee ruptured early Saturday in Nevada, flooding about 800 homes and stranding about 3, 500 people in their agricultural desert town, authorities said.
The incident took place after snow plus heavy rain hit the area on Friday. There has been no reports of casualties so far.
The rupture involved a 30-foot-long section of the Truckee Canal in Fernley, Nevada, according to Ernie Schank, president of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District.
The residents in the affected area have been evacuated to schools, and the nearby Fallon Naval Air Station provided three helicopters in case anyone needed rescue from a roof and local officials deployed boats, said Chuck Allen of the Nevada Department of Public Safety.
Authorities have sent rescue workers to the area, with bulldozers to shore up the levee, according to Allen.
A snow storm pummeled the West Coast on Friday, raising a threat of mud slides and flooding in some parts of Nevada and California.
"It was a mess up there last night," said Allen. "It's so cold here. The snow is about 2 inches in depth and the temperatures are right near the frigid mark both for the rescuers and rescuees."
