Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Storms bringing chance of flooding

(Originally posted at 8:41 a.m.) Thunderstorms crackled and boomed into the Las Vegas Valley this afternoon, flashing lightning, pouring rain onto city streets and creating the potential for flash floods.

Henderson was hit by the storm about 2:15 p.m. while another storm cell was producing heavy rain near Pahrump, according to the National Weather Service radar.

According to WeatherUnderground.com, a National Weather Service employee reported water running nearly a foot deep on the sides of the road near the intersection of Lake Mead Parkway and Water Street in Henderson.

The weather service issued a statement at 3:23 p.m., saying that a flood advisory has been issued for minor flooding of urban areas until 4:45 p.m. for central Clark County.

The weather service reported that automated Clark County rain gauges reported nearly a half an inch of rain over Henderson. Automated gauges along the Flamingo Wash between Torrey Pines and Decatur measured nearly 0.6 of an inch in less than an hour.

"Rainfall rates of this intensity will cause elevated water levels in washes and flood channels," the weather service reported. Ponding of water in urban areas with poor drainage, in some intersections, underpasses and other low-lying spots was also expected, the weather service said.

"Do not drive your vehicle into areas where water covers the roadway," the weather service warned.

McCarran International Airport, which records the official rainfall amount for Las Vegas, measured only a trace of rain from the storm through 3 p.m.

The Pahrump storm and another one along Highway 372 between Pahrump and the California state line were expected to cause flooding along Highways 160 and 372, the weather service said. Water from the storm along Highway 160 was expected to flow into Pahrump.

Tonight's chance of precipitation is 30 percent, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely before 11 p.m., the weather service says. Overnight, skies will be mostly cloudy, with a low reaching 84 degrees.

The monsoon season will continue through the upcoming week. Monday will bring a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with the high temperature reaching 98 degrees.

McCarran International Airport recorded a trace of rain between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. today and a trace of rain between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday.

The heaviest rain fell between 11 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.

Heavy downpours produced .04 of an inch of rain at McCarran — breaking a dry spell for the area that had lasted since May 24.

Weather radar indicated that the late Friday night, early Saturday storm brought up to two inches of rain in the South Cove area near the Arizona line. In the Las Vegas Valley, most of the heaviest rain fell south of Interstate 215.

According to WeatherUnderground.com, which compiles reports from privately owned weather stations throughout the valley, two stations reported fairly good soakings:

• 0.71 of an inch five miles north of North Las Vegas in Clark County. A National Weather Service employee said most of the rain fell in a two-hour period between 11 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.

• 0.87 of an inch in Henderson, recorded in an automated gauge along the Las Vegas Wash near Pabco Road between 11 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.

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