(AP) - Hundreds of homes are still under up to 8 feet of water after a levee burst at an irrigation canal in a rural Nevada town.
Some of the water has frozen in the cold temperatures, complicating plans to let the water flow out naturally. Officials in the town are debating whether to use pumps.
Federal emergency workers are heading to the town of 20,000 to assess the damage.
Fernley's mayor says up to 400 homes have been damaged and fire officials say about 1,500 people have been displaced after the levee collapsed early yesterday morning.
The levee break came after unusually heavy rainfall for the high desert town. The weather is considered a likely contributor, but officials say they're still investigating whether burrowing rodents played a role.
Advertisement