Senator stages flyover above last year’s devastation

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1997 | 9:12 a.m.

"I wanted to recreate the tour I took last year during the height of the floods to see how communities were progressing in their cleanup efforts and find out what still needs to be done," Reid said.

The daylong flight with government officials, reporters and photographers scanned the briefly flooded area of a year ago from Reno south through Carson City and Minden to the Walker River area and Yerington.

"It's hard to believe what the rivers looked like then," Reid said. "The waters covered everything and the landscape looked surreal."

The deluge caused $1 billion damage and took two lives in western Nevada. Reid said reaction to the disaster showed that federal, state and local governments could work together.

Reid, D-Nev., is up for re-election next year and faces Republican opposition from U.S. Rep. John Ensign and millionaire businessman Bruce James.

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