Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Storms across valley knock out power, spawn flash flooding

0926weather01

Steve Marcus

Neon lights reflect on East Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas after a rainstorm Friday, Sept. 26, 2014.

Updated Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 | 12:02 a.m.

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Lightning strikes near downtown Las Vegas around 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, 2014.

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Dark clouds are seen looking north from Cactus Avenue and Interstate 15, Friday, Sept. 26, 2014.

Scattered storms hammered Southern Nevada on Friday, bringing rain, hail, flooding and lightning that caused power outages and fires around the valley.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist John Adair, the highest rain total in the eastern valley was about 0.5 inches from 6 to 7 p.m. On the west side, near Charleston and Rampart boulevards, about 0.67 to 0.75 inches fell.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said most of the thunderstorm damage and related emergencies occurred in the northwest valley.

Firefighters were called to assist a motorist who got stuck in deep water when the car stalled at Alexander Road and Rancho Drive.

Firefighters tended to a pair of flooded buildings: a residence on Peaceful Canyon Drive in Summerlin, and a business in the Best of the West Shopping Center at Rainbow and Lake Mead boulevards, Szymanski said.

According to NV Energy's Outage Center, 862 customers were without power as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday in Southern Nevada, down from 1,450 people at about 7 p.m. Hundreds more experienced outages likely due to the weather, NV Energy spokesman Mark Severts said.

The Nevada Highway Patrol closed State Route 168 in the Coyote Springs area about 3 p.m. because of heavy flooding and debris, Trooper Loy Hixson said.

A series of flash flood warnings were issued Friday afternoon, though the National Weather Service said it canceled some and allowed others to expire in the evening.

A warning issued at 6:45 p.m. for the southeast valley, affecting southeast Las Vegas, Henderson and the Strip, expired, as did a warning for the Carpenter 1 burn area near Trout Canyon.

Another warning issued for the Boulder City area was canceled as was a 6:10 p.m. flood advisory for West Las Vegas.

A longer-term flood warning for the washes flowing from Coyote Springs toward Moapa has been upgraded to a flood emergency. The area is seeing water levels of about 12 feet, and residents are being advised to head to higher ground, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service flood watch for most of Clark County is still in effect through 11 a.m. Saturday, meteorologist Reid Wolcott said.

Friday's string of weather announcements from the National Weather Service came as scattered storms brought dime-sized hail to the Summerlin area and lightning across the valley.

What it means

When the National Weather Service issues a flood watch, advisory or warning:

• Flood watch: Indicates that conditions are favorable for flooding that could pose a risk to life and property. Watches are issued up to 48 hours in advance.

• Flood advisory: Issued when flash flooding is imminent, generally within six hours. This is usually issued based on heavy rainfall causing dangerous small stream or urban flooding.

• Flood warning: Similar to an advisory but is issued for significant events that will pose a risk to life and property.

At about 7 p.m., a one-story townhouse at 1908 Becker Court, near Lake Mead Boulevard and Buffalo Drive, was hit by lightning, Szymanski said.

The strike hit the roof, causing a fire in the attic and other parts of the residence. No injuries were reported. Damages are estimated at $75,000.

A unit in the Paradiso Apartments at 2701 N. Rainbow Boulevard was also damaged by fire Friday night, and lightning may have been to blame, Szymanski said.

The fire department also received reports of six tree fires sparked by lightning strikes, Szymanski said.

Due to the speed of the storms — some were moving up to 30 mph — it would take several storms traveling over one area to cause major flooding, Wolcott said.

“The main concern is wind with these guys, but if we see multiple storms traveling over the same area, that could be a cause for concern,” Wolcott said.

The chance of rain and thunderstorms is expected to taper off throughout the day Saturday.

Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of about 83 degrees and a low of about 64 degrees.

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