Northern Nevada, Sierra flood tab tops $1 bil.

Friday, May 30, 1997 | 11:44 a.m.

"The greater Lake Tahoe area experienced extensive damage due to flooding rivers, streams and mudslides. Flood devastation was widespread across western Nevada," Scott F. Hickman wrote in his report for the National Weather Service.

His figures, compiled from federal, state and local sources, put damage in western Nevada at $632.5 million, $540.2 million in Washoe County alone. Numbers from the California side of the Sierra pushed the total to $956.8 million.

"That's certainly subject to change," weather service meteorologist Roger Lamoni said on Thursday. "That's a special report because the flood was such a big event."

For example, he said many of the preliminary numbers came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which won't have an official tally until next year.

"Once everything's fixed and repaired, then people go back and revise the numbers," Lamoni said.

He added that Hickman's figures consider damage and cleanup, but not economic impact from business closures or blocked roads.

The numbers, along with flood data, become part of an historic data base for Nevada.

"It's used extensively by insurance companies, the legal system and FEMA land planners," Lamoni said.

In Washoe County, Hickman said damage was immense because of the concentration of businesses and homes along the Truckee River. His estimates include $200 million to 1,420 businesses and homes in Reno, $300 million in Sparks, $32 million at the airport and $2.5 million to repair Interstate 80 near the Helms Pit in Sparks. The Mount Rose Highway, I-80 near the California line and U.S. 395 through Washoe Valley were closed by mud slides or high water.

Losses in Douglas County were put at $55 million. While at least 75 homes were damaged, most of the toll was tallied along the levee and irrigation system.

Lyon County damage was estimated at $19.5 million, mostly in Yerington, with additional losses in Wellington and Smith, to highways 208 and 339 in Wilson Canyon and to agricultural areas.

In Carson City, losses to homes and businesses still are being tallied, but the damage to public facilities was estimated at $6.4 million.

Most of Storey County's $3 million amount involved roads and bridges, while Churchill County's $345,000 casualty figure generally was confined to the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District.

In California, 50 homes, bridges, highways and the rail line accounted for $91.2 million in damage to Plumas County. El Dorado County, where U.S. 50 was closed, recorded losses of $62.5 million and Mono County came in at $78 million, primarily along the Walker River in Mammoth Lakes, Coleville, Walker and Topaz. The raging Walker tore out 12 miles of U.S. 395.

Placer County, where the area around Squaw Valley USA was particularly hard hit, came in at $28.7 million, about the same as Nevada County's $28.9 million and Sierra County's $27.6 million. Alpine County was estimated at $5.9 million.