Lockwood Town Hall Reviews Flood Evacuation Drill, Identifies Next Steps
County officials and residents gathered last week for a Lockwood Town Hall meeting to review a flood evacuation drill conducted in December 2025 and discuss lessons learned from the exercise.
About 30 community members and 12 county staff attended the meeting, which focused on public safety outcomes and opportunities to improve future evacuation efforts.
Emergency Management officials said the drill was successful overall, citing strong participation and positive feedback from both residents and staff stationed at the public evacuation site. Observations from the exercise helped confirm that current procedures are effective while also highlighting areas that could be strengthened.
Several improvement items were discussed, including clearer signage at evacuation centers, placing staff at entry points when staffing levels allow, and identifying additional accessible parking closer to evacuation buildings.
County officials also shared plans to continue similar preparedness exercises in other Storey County communities. Future drills will vary by location and disaster type as the program expands. Mock evacuation drills are planned later this year for Virginia City, Gold Hill, and the Mark Twain community.
Residents were reminded to review and update their Smart911 profiles annually to ensure emergency responders have accurate contact and household information. Assistance is available through the Senior Center or Storey County Emergency Management for those who need help updating their profiles. More information is available at smart911.com.
County staff thanked residents for their participation and feedback, noting that community input plays an important role in strengthening emergency preparedness countywide.
A photo accompanying this story was taken during the November 2025 Lockwood Town Hall.
