Las Vegas Flooding – Monsoon Triggered Flash Floods

The Las Vegas Valley experienced flooding yesterday after going 116 days without rain. Heavy rain brought monsoon triggered flash floods and Lightning. But what causes the Las Vegas flooding? Here’s some insight. The city is prone to flash flooding due to monsoon triggered flash floods. Here are some warning signs. Also, watch for severe thunderstorms. And stay away from these areas during flash floods. These floods can cause damage to homes and property.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

A flash flood warning and severe thunderstorm have been issued for the Las Vegas valley after torrential rains soaked the area. A video posted to Twitter shows floodwaters rushing through the Planet Hollywood and Circa Sportsbook. The National Weather Service says over 7,000 people are without power. The warning is in effect until 2:45 a.m. On Sunday, heavy rains also caused mudslides in southern and western West Virginia.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Las Vegas valley on Thursday evening, and the forecast calls for rain and flash flooding. Floodwaters and lightning have caused dozens of power outages across the valley, and roadways are flooded. One road in downtown Las Vegas was closed for two hours after a storm knocked down a tree. Severe thunderstorms are also possible throughout the day on Friday.

Heavy Rain & High Winds

The flash flood warning has caused damage to many historic hotels and casinos along the Las Vegas Strip. Video from the scene shows water rushing through downtown Las Vegas Boulevard, as well as in the Strat Hotel. The water also covered the tires of cars, making them nearly unusable. Video from Perez Hilton shows cars in floodwater and Las Vegas flooding the casinos. Residents are urged to be safe. A Severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for the city.

A thunderstorm system brought heavy rain and high winds to parts of central Nevada on Thursday night. Despite the high winds, there was also hail in Las Vegas. More storm activity is expected Friday, and the threat of thunderstorms will last into the weekend and into the week ahead. In the meantime, stay safe and stay in your car. If you’re in Las Vegas, stay safe from monsoon-triggered flash floods.

Monsoon Season Runs From July to October

As the monsoon season nears, Las Vegas weather experts are warning residents to prepare. The city’s monsoon season runs from July through October. Tropical storms push huge amounts of moisture up through the Gulf of California and mountain ranges, then channel that moisture into the American Southwest, where it transforms into huge thunderclouds. In Las Vegas, monsoon conditions could begin as early as Wednesday. The recent windstorm in North Las Vegas killed 15 trees and damaged several cars. The current wildfire was caused by a lightning strike.

A monsoon-triggered flash flood in Las Vegas last summer was accompanied by severe flooding, including road closures and fatalities. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in parts of the valley. Wind gusts were high at Harry Reid International Airport (HRIA) and near the Las Vegas Strip. The National Weather Service says it’s unlikely to be an isolated occurrence this time.

Number of Deaths

The National Weather Service tracks the number of deaths caused by natural disasters, and these numbers are growing more alarming. Flash floods can occur in areas that have no water to soak up rainfall. Concrete can’t absorb excess rain, and aged infrastructure is often unable to drain water in a timely manner. This event is also typical in the Southwest U.S. during monsoon season, when the winds change and rainfall increases. In addition, the hard ground is less able to absorb excess rainfall.

Flash flooding has left parts of the Las Vegas valley semi-underwater. In addition, the National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood Warning. The city received as much as an inch of rain, 25 percent more than its normal annual total. For reference, Las Vegas receives 4.2 inches of rain each year.

Threat of Thunderstorms

On Thursday, severe thunderstorms whipped up high winds and dumped an inch of rain on the area. Small hail was also reported in the city. More thunderstorm activity is forecast for Friday, and the rain is expected to continue into the weekend. And the threat of thunderstorms is still ongoing. In fact, it could continue well into next week and in Las Vegas, a thunderstorm is expected to hit the area again sometime next week.

In addition to the Las Vegas flooding, wind gusts were high and several casinos were damaged. The Fremont Street Experience was closed until Friday, but operations were back to normal. Earlier Thursday, winds were blowing between 40 and 50 mph. Near Decatur Boulevard and the 215 Beltway, a gust of 54 mph was recorded. Meanwhile, the storm left some casinos without exterior power and a flooded ceiling. Some parking garages were flooded to unsafe levels.

Electrical surges

Heavy rain began Thursday evening, with more than an inch recorded in the strip and central Las Vegas. Despite the heavy rain, temperatures remained warm, with a 65 percent humidity. The city’s official climate reporting station reported only 0.32 inches of rain in two hours, compared to the average rainfall of three inches in July. But with the threat of thunderstorms lingering, the weather service has issued a flash flood warning for the region and is advising residents to stay indoors as much as possible.

As flash flooding hit the city on Thursday night, residents were forced to take shelter in downtown hotels. Video posted online showed floodwater gushing into a Caesars Palace hotel and through a giant screen at Circa Resort & Casino. Patrons captured riveting video of the flood’s impact. In addition to power outages, the city was plagued with thunderstorms and lightning. Electrical surges set off fire alarms and firefighters responded.

Flashes of Lightning

More than seven thousand customers were without power at one time, with most of them in the eastern and central portions of the valley. However, outages were reported throughout the valley, with at least 200 customers left without power in the 89101 ZIP code alone. Local businesses, such as the Circa sportsbook, suffered water damage. Other buildings affected by the storm included the Caesars Palace and the Bellagio hotels. NV Energy said that electricity outages were mostly isolated and most outages were resolved by Friday morning.

The storm’s total rainfall almost matched the city’s total rainfall for the year. Videos on social media showed flashes of lightning, gushing water, and cars trapped in floodwater. Even the sky was covered with lightning. Despite the severe weather, seven people were rescued from the floodwater and their cars. One resident reported seeing “curtains of raindrops” outside his window. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Damage to Casinos

One video shows the Las Vegas flooding wreaking havoc on a downtown hotel. One of the affected hotels, the Golden Nugget, also had external lights that were knocked out. Caesars Palace and Planet Hollywood had heavily dripping light fixtures and showers. One of the most striking images from the storm shows a white-water rapids-style course of cars in the Linq hotel’s parking garage.

Last weekend, the Las Vegas flooding caused multiple casinos to suffer water damage. A flash flood warning is in effect for the entire Las Vegas Valley, and strong storms are expected to worsen the situation over the weekend. A recent report from the Nevada Gaming Control Board noted that gambling companies in Nevada generated over $1.28 billion in revenue last year, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the 16th consecutive month. The state’s FY2022 revenue total was $14.6 billion, a record high for a single year.

Recovering from the Massive Flood

The storm caused massive Las Vegas flooding and power outages throughout the Las Vegas area, including the famous Fremont Street Experience. The Fremont Street Experience, a nighttime light and music show, was knocked out by lightning, and the Golden Nugget and Frontier casinos lost exterior power. In addition, the Circa hotel-casino lost a huge TV screen due to the Las Vegas flooding. Other casinos in the area were not spared, though, and some parking garages were unusable.

The city of Las Vegas is recovering from the massive flood, which engulfed the city on Thursday night. The flash floods swept across the Las Vegas Strip, with many social media users sharing videos of flooded streets. Even though the Las Vegas flooding was not as severe as the flash floods in New Orleans, officials said more flooding was likely to hit the area. The storm obliterated a hundred-year rainfall record in St. Louis, and many trapped people have been rescued.

Final Thought:

Heavy rain accompanied high winds and the Las Vegas flooding of central Nevada. More storm activity is expected Friday evening, with a chance of thunderstorms lingering into next week. Although the rain ceased shortly before midnight, excessive runoff and standing water continued to plague Las Vegas. And after the storms passed, westbound Interstate 15 was still flooded in the morning commute. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the area.