Heavy rain, floods hit iconic Las Vegas strip
August 13, 2022
Heavy rain poured down the Las Vegas iconic strip on Friday, causing massive floods across the area for the second time in weeks. Therefore, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning statement for people regarding the current situation.
Apart from flooding the streets, the high volume of water also caused some roof leakage in some casinos, as shown in multiple footages on social media.
A video showed water pouring in down the roof of Planet Hollywood casino. Outside, footage of a bus driver cruising the flood with waters leaking from its door.
The NWS also mentioned that floods and bad weather are likely to be going on this week. The warning is not limited to people in Las Vegas but also people from the surrounding areas like Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.
“The energetic monsoon around the West is predicted to proceed this weekend with a trajectory from the 4 Corners area and Wilderness Southwest to the central Rockies,” the NWS mentioned. “This rainfall would possibly produce flash flooding and particles flows, particularly close to fresh burn scar spaces."
“In the meantime, in the community heavy rain is most probably close to the Gulf Coast this weekend from the arriving of a chilly entrance and susceptible tropical disturbance.”
Heaviest volume in a decade
Consequently, Las Vegas is hit by the wettest monsoon in a decade, which runs from June 15 to September 30. On Thursday, the rainfall was 0.58 inches, bringing the total for this season to 1.28 inches.
The previous wettest period was in 2012 when it reached 3.63 inches. The all-time record wet monsoon season was in 1984 with 4.16 inches.
“With 0.58 inches added to the tally yesterday, the monsoon season in #Vegas has delivered 1.28" of rainfall so far!” the NWS said. “That makes this the wettest monsoon in ten years! And we've still got a month and a half left to add to our total!”
The U.S. Drought Monitor also reported that intensive rainfall has caused a significant impact on the drought level. The severe drought area dropped to four percent from about 30 percent in the previous weeks.
“Most locales in Arizona, New Mexico, the California deserts, southern Nevada, and a few other scattered areas have measured at least 200 percent of normal (rainfall) over the past 2 months,” the statement said.
Last week the Death Valley National Park announced its closure following a huge flood in the area. Every access into and out of the park was closed, with its official assessment of the situation. The flood caused 1,000 people, consisting of 500 visitors and 500 staff were trapped in the middle of the flood; no injuries have been reported per CNN.
“The Cow Creek Water system, which provides water to the Cow Creek area for park residents and offices, has failed,” the Death Valley National Park's official statement said. “Park staff have identified a major break in the line due to the flooding which is being repaired. The remainder of the line is being inspected.”
According to the Associated Press, the park received 1.46 inches (3.71 centimeters) of rain in the Furnace Creek area. It was about 75 percent of what the area usually gets in a year. In the entire month, it was the most volume that it has ever received.
