Woman rescued from underpass

Clark County residents who were affected by July's flash floods are running out of time to file for federal funds.

Friday is the last day to apply for most disaster assistance programs, according to state disaster recovery officials.

In Clark County 1,077 people have registered for assistance and at least 528 people have received federal aid.

To register, Clark County residents are asked to call (800) 462-7585.

It never fails. Whenever the Las Vegas Valley gets any prolonged rain the Charleston Boulevard underpass floods, and there is always a motorist ready to give his car a bath.

Sunday night -- after another round of thunderstorms pelted Clark County with rain, spectacular lightning and thunder -- a cold, wet and embarrassed 87-year-old woman was rescued from the underpass by the Las Vegas Fire Department. She had driven her car through a red light and past the flashing lights of a public works vehicle into about 6 feet of water.

"I was parked right at the intersection of Commerce (Street) and Charleston with my lights flashing, and I had already set the lights around the underpass to red," said a traffic engineer with city of Las Vegas Public Works.

"It didn't matter, she just went right around me and into the water. I guess she didn't see it."

Las Vegas fireman and paramedic Rick Reff got to the scene just after 9 p.m. and donned his helmet and rescue gear and climbed into a ladder truck basket.

The basket, which sits at the end of the fire truck's extendible ladder, was then moved over the water. Reff, with the help of fellow firefighter Dwight Fuller, pulled the woman out of her car.

"She was a little shaken, but mostly she was just embarrassed," Reff said. "I really just don't think she saw the water. It's pretty dark out here and I don't think she noticed the glare from the lights on the water."

The woman's car, a small, red four-door, was almost filled with water. The woman suffered no injuries and was taken home by firefighters.

The underpass was one of a few areas flooded by the thunderstorm cell that passed over the valley late Sunday evening. Flooding was reported at Las Vegas Boulevard South at the Sahara Avenue and Flamingo Road intersections.

Random storms continued to pelt the region from Jean to north of Las Vegas until after 11 p.m.

The National Weather Service reported 0.03 of an inch of rain at McCarran International Airport, but other areas of the valley got nearly an inch.

At the top of the Flamingo Wash off Blue Diamond Road 0.91 of an inch was recorded.

The thunderstorms developed in the west and southwest of California, National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Skrbac said.

Similar conditions are expected today until the weather system moves east, bringing drier weather to Southern Nevada.

Sunday's high reached 96 degrees and is expected to reach 99 degrees today with a chance of showers or thunderstorms until Tuesday.

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