Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 1

S-page pe3Gal Elep tt FMH CA 7.FTT1R-If TOM A 1 iU -Li. IL-JL xlILJjLJ iL lAJQJVUn Nlli THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1 937 tD SBBS JU oads to clear as waters slowly recede by fQ -4. it fA'S'Jay. A. 50C Friday A A Reno Gazette-Journal Tr photographers give you close-up views of flooded areas In Warm air and snow com-Dbined for unprecedented meltdown crowds drawn to riverside create problems downtown: where to volunteer to help flood relief A Nevada County declared disaster area as raging floodwaters charge through Truckee: list of road closures in Truckee Meadows.

Horses are led to safety Dfrom high waters: a look back at historical floods in the Truckee Meadows. Gov Bob Miller has declared a state of emergency in four western Nevada counties Carson City and Douglas Storey and Washoe counties State offices in those counties are closed today. Public safety and other employees who perform essential services should call to see if they must report to work The University of Nevada, Reno, will be closed today. University police physical plan! personnel facilities worlds and other essential personnel should ropoM Truckee Meadows Community College will be closed today. Essential workers ned to shov up The Washoe County Courthouse complex, including the new and old courthouses and the old Sierra Bank building is closed today occu-jsc its p'Onrn-ty to the nver That include Washoe District Court and the public defender's dis'nci attorney and count clerk sc'fices The Washoe County Administration Building on as! Nintn St'oot northeast Reno ill oe ooen Roads to the Social Security Office 1 1 75 Fmancia1 KVJ were flooded Call 764 221 'This is almost compared to what vc had in '55.

DeLaney Kizer Gardnervllle resident portions of the load. In the Carson Valley, the Rivci-view Mobile Hume I'aik was evacuated as an old power dam on the Fast fork of the Carson River threatened to break and send a rush ol water downstream The high water and Hooded streets brought hack memories of past Hoods, the most recent a 19X6 flood that sent the Carson River over its hanks and into hundreds of homes and businesses See CARSON on page 4A TV CAPTIVATED CROWD: People gather at Arlington Avenue in Reno to watch as debris is cleared away from the flooded street after the Truckee Photos by Marilyn Newton Reno Gaettf- joumai River overflowed its banks Wednesday afternoon in the west flood since the 1 950s. Carson, Douglas crews work frantically to hold back flood Worst flood since 1955: FEMA officials to tour area today. By Steve Timko RENO AZETTE-JOURN AL A near record amount of water roiled down the Truckee River on New Year's Day, with some spilling over banks and bubbling up through manholes and storm drains to flood homes, businesses and streets. Three days of unseasonably warm rain washed much of a heavy snowpack off the Sierra and gave the Truckee Meadows its worst flood since 1955.

Two people were reportedly swept away in the Truckee late Wednesday. A rescuer attempted to save them after they went into the river near the Reno Hilton campground, but a fire department search was discontinued after no sign of them was found. The Truckee River is predicted to crest at noon today, then slowly recede. At Kietzke Lane in Reno, river is expected to hit 15.5 feet. 3.5 feet above Hood stage.

Scattered rain in the Sierra will keep waters from receding quicker. Steve Brown of the National Weather Service said. Washoe County and the cities of Reno and Sparks declared states of emergency. U.S. Sen.

Harry Reid has asked Federal Fmergency Management Agency officials to tour the area today to decide if it should be declared a federal disaster area. FEMA could offer help with control, temporary housing 'and rebuilding streets and bridges, among other needs. Downtown Reno looked like a military encampment, with a 3-foot-high barrier of sandbags extending the length of First Street. Power outages caused sporadic-blackouts at the Cal-Neva and employees there reported the Virginian Hotel was taking water in the basement. Below the train tracks was foot traffic only, with sawhorses and police tape strung between light-posts.

Various casinos had sandbags in place and ready to deploy in front of doorways and windows. In Sparks, the industrial area was hard hit. Rock Boulevard east to the Sparks city limits and from Interstate 80 south to the Truckee River are closed and will not be reopened this morning as city crews do clean-up and damage control. Deputy City Manager Jonnie Pullman said. She asked employees to contact their employers and vice versa to arrange work schedules.

Cooler temperatures will lower the snow level Friday in the Sierra meaning less water draining into the riverand significantly lowering See FLOOD on page 4A HIGH LOW 61 Today: Windy with rain 6 A Wood burning Allowed News 1-6A Briefing 2A Opinion 5A Weather 6A LocalRegion 4-6B Obituaries 58 Lottery 6B Sierra Life Dear Abby TV Watch Comics Crossword Horoscope Business Markets 1-6D 2D 4D 5D 5D 5D 1- 3E 2- 3E 4-11E Sports 1-6C Classified I'll II "40901ll01 1 01 1 "if "Sr 5- -w lis HmJ 'I Snowpack will survive wet weather By Faith Bremner Kt l)(i-l I 1 1 The majority of the Sierra snowpack will probably survive the Hood of 1997 thanks to December's super bountiful snowfall, a snow expert said Wednesday. Before the warm rains hit the Sierra earlier this week, the eastern Sierra snowpack ranged from a high of 253 percent of av erage in the Walker River Basin to 191 percent of av erage in the Truckee River Basin. For once, the Sierra Nevada had plenty of snow to lose this time of year. "Even if we lost half of that, we'd still be at average for this time of year." said Dan Greenlee, state water supply specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Sen ice. VI II By Jim Namiotka KhOGl I Ir-JOl KNI.

A state of emergency was declared for both Carson City and Douglas County on New Year's Day as rain and melting snow coursed off the Sierra Nevada and into city streets and the Carson River overflowed its banks. Fmergency crews spent much of Wednesday tilling and distributing sandbags throughout Carson Cits and the Carson Valley, and Hood conditions were expected to worsen as rains continued and the river rose through the night. In Carson City, the center ol the Hood damage occurred on West King Street, as Sierra runol'l flowed out of Kings Canyon and into the streets. Several homes were flooded as underground drainage systems overflowed. Rushing water created gullies along the roadside that threatened to wash awav BRIDGE PROTECTION: A city of Reno worker removes a parking meter on the Lake Street Bridge in anticipation of tne rising Truckee River Wednesday afternoon The bridge railings were also to be removed "Crg-aan -777, J1 9 v.

'V But on Wednesday, Greenlee was more worried about too much water, from his computer he worked with local governments to predict when and how much water would hit their communities. at the site where it is collected. Park officials also are doubling the S25 annual fee for their Golden I.agle Passport, a pass that entitles the holder to an unlimited number ofv isits a year to federal parks and other tourist sites in the country at no additional charge. "The main idea is to collect money that will go directly into isihle projects and improvements at the same sites." said I.arle Kitt-leman. a spokesman for the National Park Service.

"Congress has given us the authority for three years to prove it can work, and we are encouraging public response." At Cedar Hill, officials said the additional income couij be used to shore up the sagging 1 -year-old ceilings witlntetj ynrtt replace rotting wooden sftfo an pillars, arid ci er scleral inofhs with a rVtff-century pattern. Israeli soldier opens fire on crowd Parks hope visitors will accept entrance fees beginning Jan. 15 yfifi "If I had to go out on a limb right now, from a water supply perspective. I'd say we'll end up in pretty good shape. We still have all of January.

February and March to get additional snow." and poetry and the items that were part of daily life in the late 19th century. On Jan. 1 5. however, the federal government will begin charging adults S3 each for a lull tour of the Douglass house, with a half-price discount for senior citizens. Only children younger than 6 and students in school groups still will be able to tour the mansion for free.

The new fees are part of a three-year experiment by the National Park Ser-v ice to raise funds for upkeep and improvements in federal parks and tourist sites across the countrv. By 1999. officials said, fees for tours and services will be instituted at as many as 100 parks and tourist sites, from canoe trips in Redwood National Park in California to nature lectures at Acadia National Park in Maine. About 80 percent of the money ill be used Aid for upkeep: Money goes for park improvements. WASHINGTON I'Osi WASHINGTON For the last 24 years.

Cedar Hill, the stately white brick mansion in Washington's Anacostia neighborhood, where Frederick Douglass lived the last two decades of his life, has been open to the public with guided tours prov ided at no charge. Schoolchildren, tourists or Washington area residents could marvel at the elegant dining room where the famous African American abolitionist debated politics with his guests, the library where he devoured volumes of historv UNDER GUARD: Israeli Noam Friedman, center, is tar-en away by Israeli troops after he vvent on a shooting rampage against Palestinians a crowded market of Hebron Wednesday The soldier said he staged the attack to sabotage talks on the Israeli withdrawal from Hebron. Story, page 2A. i I r7j 11(7 THimmT.