Nevada residents assessing damage post-quake

WELLS, Nev. — About 9:30 a.m. Friday, the old Wells City Hall, built in 1920, shook yet again, taking the latest temblor in stride, even if workers inside still couldn't.

"Oh, I hate it when that happens," said Wells city clerk Sue Smith as she walked through the building. An hour later, another one — stronger than the last — rattled the building again. And yet another an hour later.

Friday was being called by first responders as a day for the city's 1,800 residents to recover and assess the damage following Thursday's 6.0 magnitude earthquake.

Rod Mothershed and Don Ray were parked at Wells Elementary School with 10,000 gallons of potable water they brought from Elko after federal officials told them that 3,000 gallons per minute were leaking from breaks in drinking water lines.

But federal Division of Emergency Management spokesman Kim Toulouse said drinking water supplies to residents had been restored and that only four businesses Friday morning on the west side of town remained under a boil order. By noon, all roads leading in and out of the small community had reopened.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials arrived Friday evening and will be evaluating the damage today to determine if Wells qualifies for federal emergency relief funds, said Elko County undersheriff Rocky Gonzalez.

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons gave Wells a state disaster area designation Thursday, which Toulouse said should help speed up the process of getting a potential federal designation.

State and local officials spent much of Friday re-evaluating damage in Wells and outlying areas because of the aftershocks, Gonzalez said. "We're finding more damage to homes," he said.

It could take up to 48 hours to get the needed damage information to the state's governor, who then forwards a report that eventually could reach President George Bush for his approval to release federal monies.

Toulouse said there may be public and individual federal assistance available, along with federal grants of up to $28,000 to help people recover and repair.

As for personal property losses inside homes, which was widespread in Wells, people are on their own.