Friday, Jan. 3, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Harrah's Reno and the Hampton Inn reopened Friday morning, but at least two other casinos, the Riverboat and Comstock, stayed closed.
"We're pushing back the sandbags and cleaning up the sidewalk," Harrah's spokeswoman Pat Martin said. "Since we've never closed in our 60-year history, we've never had a reopening."
No injuries were reported, but 45 miles south of here, a backhoe operator building up a berm along the Carson River near Gardnerville was swept away late Thursday when his rig fell into the river.
Douglas County sheriff's deputies said Frederick Franklin Pinard, 59, of Gardnerville, was presumed drowned.
In Reno, the Truckee flooded motels, restaurants and wedding chapels after several days of heavy rains produced a record flow. White-capped water up to four feet deep coursed through city streets Thursday, and created massive lakes in places.
"It seems like a bad dream," said Alberto Gazzola as floodwaters swept into his La Vecchia Varese restaurant. "Fifteen or 20 other businesses are flooded near me ... All we can do is watch."
Hundreds of employees and volunteers piled sandbags in front of the Club Cal-Neva, Hampton Inn and Comstock as flood waters crept up to the resorts, which closed as a precaution.
Most casinos escaped serious flood damage, but the Riverboat, Comstock and Hampton Inn ended up with flooded basements. Up to six feet of water was reported in the Riverboat's basement.
About 15 guests at the Reno Riviera Motel and Apartments had to be rescued by firefighters after the property became surrounded by a lake up to four feet deep. They exited through windows and descended a ladder attached to a fire truck.
"The water came up quickly and we couldn't get out," said Kevin Carrico. "The power was out and the lake kept getting deeper. It's a relief to get out of there."
Authorities were uncertain how many businesses and homes were flooded, but there was widespread flooding along the entire 90-mile course of the Truckee between Lake Tahoe and east of Reno.
Gov. Bob Miller declared states of emergency in four northwest Nevada counties hardest hit by the flooding. He took a two-hour tour by helicopter over the region Thursday afternoon.
"I believe there are several hundred homes that are totally uninhabitable and that number might rise," Miller said. "There's a great number of warehouses and other businesses you couldn't operate.
"I think there will be tens in millions and maybe hundreds in millions of dollars in damages. There's very little question in my mind that it'll be declared a federal disaster area."
At the request of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Federal Emergency Management Agency officials plan to tour the region to decide if it should be declared such an area.
Up to 15 inches of rain Wednesday and Thursday in the Sierra Nevada sent the Truckee over its banks and triggered mudslides that closed dozens of highways and roads in the Reno-Tahoe area.
Thousands of local employees, including state workers, were told not to report to work Thursday because of dangerous road conditions. The flooding also closed Reno/Tahoe International Airport and the Mustang Ranch brothel east of Reno.
The airport was not expected to re-open before late today, according to executive Robert White.
Water seeped into the basements of some state buildings in Carson City, 30 miles south of Reno. They included the attorney general's building and the Nevada Capitol which houses the governor's office. The main street in front of the Capitol was flooded with several inches of water.
National Weather Service forecaster Steve Goldstein said the Truckee crested at 14.7 feet Thursday, breaking the old record of 13.8 feet set in 1950. Flood stage is 12 feet.
"We believe it was actually higher because the gauge was under water and it probably screwed up the reading," he said, adding the river was slowly receding Thursday night.
Darrol Veronie of Cameron Park, Calif., was luckier than most Thursday in downtown Reno. He hit a $1,600 jackpot on a progressive dollar slot at the Cal-Neva only moments before being told the casino was closing.
"I've been working on double- and triple-time the last week and I came here to forget the snow and bad weather," said the PG&E employee who has battled downed power lines back home. "It takes your mind off things gambling and this is what I needed."
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