Flooding shuts U.S. 95 at Horse Drive; 2 people rescued from car in Kyle Canyon

By Bethany Barnes

Published Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 | 2:35 p.m.

Updated Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013 | 5:52 p.m.

The Las Vegas Valley is under a flood warning after hours of heavy rain near Mount Charleston that resulted in road closures and one rescue.

The warning includes the areas of North Las Vegas, downtown Las Vegas and Summerlin and will be in effect until 7:45 p.m. today.

U.S. 95 was closed in both directions at Horse Drive, northwest of the 215 Beltway, because of water flowing over the lanes.

Drivers were being cautioned to avoid Grand Teton Drive east of Durango Drive, as well as Grand Teton west of U.S. 95 because of murky floodwater that is filled with leftover soot, ash and debris from the Carpenter 1 Fire.

Drivers also should avoid Farm Road near Tenaya Way and Rainbow Boulevard, officials said. The Fort Apache Road corridor also is experiencing flash flooding.

Flooding near Kyle Canyon Road became so intense that Las Vegas firefighters had to rescue one adult and one child who were trapped in a vehicle surrounded by rising floodwater.

The car was trapped on Scottie Street off Grand Teton Drive near Mount Charleston. When firefighters responded to the 2:39 p.m. call, water around the vehicle was licking the bottom of the car’s doors.

Firefighters used flotation devices and ropes to remove the two from the car and get them to a ladder truck.

The adult and child were taken down the mountain to relatives. No one was injured.

Conditions worsened during the rescue, and Nevada Highway Patrol responded to prevent people from driving into the floodwater.

Storms are redeveloping over the Spring Mountains, continuing to move northeast and affecting the same areas constantly, said National Weather Service spokesman Ryan Metzger.

The storms are hitting Kyle Canyon Road and the northwest parts of the valley hard, he said.

Although the storms are probably not going to change direction, storms brewing elsewhere could clip through the southern part of the valley over the next couple of hours, Metzger said.

For example, the junction of U.S. 95 and Interstate 40 in San Bernardino County in California is closed because of intense rain.

A flash flood warning for the northwest Las Vegas Valley and lower Kyle Canyon Road was extended to 7:30 p.m. The area around Red Rock Canyon is under a flash flood warning until 6:45 p.m.

NV Energy said that 39 customers in northwest Las Vegas are without power because of the storm.