Fast-moving thunderstorms swept across the Las Vegas valley on Friday, causing flash flooding along parts of the Las Vegas Strip as the region braced for more rain into Saturday.
The National Weather Service reported that 1.14 inches of rain fell on Friday in Boulder City, Nev., about 26 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Just over an inch of rain fell near Interstate 15 at Charleston Boulevard, just north of Harry Reid International Airport, according to the Weather Service, which said a flash flood warning was in effect for the area until Saturday night.
Heavy flooding about 10 miles north of the center of the Las Vegas Strip resulted in at least one driver being rescued from a car and others abandoning their vehicles below overpasses, according to local news reports. A spokesman for the city said there were no reports of rescues or major incidents.
Early on Friday, the city of Las Vegas advised residents to be careful during the morning commute and not to drive through flooded areas or wander into flood channels or basins. One video circulating on social media showed water gushing into a channel outside the LINQ hotel and Casino on the Strip.
Flash flood warnings were in effect for parts of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, as well as for parts of Nye and Lincoln Counties in Nevada, San Bernardino County in California and Mohave County in Arizona. In addition to heavy rain, the National Weather Service said dangerous lightning and gusty winds can be expected.
The deluge came just a week after an earlier round of storms inundated the Las Vegas Strip, bringing flooding and some rain damaged at least one resort, the Harrah’s hotel and casino, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Monsoon season in Las Vegas typically lasts from June to mid-September as the land heats up and humid air moves inland from the Pacific Ocean. The Review-Journal reported that the summer of 2022 was the wettest monsoon season in at least a decade.
