Winds up to 80 mph pound Reno, rip down famed sign

Martin Griffith

Monday, Dec. 16, 2002 | 9:38 a.m.

RENO -- The lights were slowly coming back on here after a powerful windstorm caused scattered power outages, major property damage and flight cancellations.

Gusts of up to 82 mph blew Reno's motto, "The Biggest Little City in the World," off the landmark Reno Arch on Saturday in the downtown casino area.

Big resorts such as Harrah's Reno and the Club Cal-Neva kept lights on with the help of backup generators. But some smaller casinos, including the Mint and Dottie's in neighboring Sparks, were still dark and closed Sunday.

Winds also toppled truck rigs, power lines, billboards, carports, trees and fences, police said. Many stoplights were either damaged or destroyed. No major injuries were reported.

In Sparks, winds sheared the city's 70-foot-tall Christmas tree in Victorian Square in half.

"I've never seen a windstorm do this much damage here," said Sparks City Manager Shaun Carey. "The city Christmas tree looks like a broken toothpick."

Reno city spokesman Steve Frady said damage was so widespread that it would take a few days before officials could come up with reliable damage estimates.

Press Clewe, head of emergency management for Washoe County, said he does not think the area suffered enough damage to qualify it for federal disaster assistance.

"To be considered a disaster I don't think it quite fits the criteria yet," he said. "It's not on that scale."

As many as 5,000 Sierra Pacific Power Co. customers in the Reno area and 3,000 customers outside Reno still were without power late Sunday afternoon, said spokeswoman Faye Anderson.

Crews were working to restore power after winds damaged 75 to 100 power poles in the region, she said. As many as 25,000 customers in the Reno area alone were without power Saturday.

Operations returned to normal at Reno-Tahoe International Airport after winds subsided Saturday night, said spokesman Adam Mayberry.

Earlier in the day, some flights were canceled and most Reno-bound flights were diverted to other airports, he said.

At Lake Tahoe just to the west, a storm that dumped up to 2 1/2 feet of snow snarled traffic but caused ski resort operators to rejoice Sunday.

The Christmas holiday season traditionally is one of the busiest periods of the season for resorts.