Traffic on I-215 travels through the morning’s rain storm in Henderson near Green Valley Parkway Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019.
Published Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 | 8:42 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 | 2:42 p.m.
Record rain wreaked havoc on valley roadways today, with the Nevada Highway Patrol reporting more than 20 freeway crashes at one point this morning.
Two people were rescued from floodwaters, traffic signals were out and multiple wrecks temporarily closed the Airport Connector Tunnel, officials said. A flood advisory was issued until 2 p.m.
“It’s gonna be an ugly commute,” Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said this morning via Twitter, warning motorists to slow down and expect delays.
Multiple crashes caused lane closures of the northbound and southbound Airport Connector Tunnel, McCarran International Airport officials reported.
The fire department reported that water caused an electrical short on a school bus that sparked a fire. The driver and two children on board were not injured, officials said. The bus caught fire in the area of Deer Hollow Street and Deer Springs Way in the northwest valley.
A number of traffic signals were also reported out, including at Bonanza Road and City Parkway and at Interstate 15 and D Street.
The fire department warned people to stay away from washes and detention basins. Two people were rescued this morning from a wash near Pecos Road and Lake Mead Boulevard, officials said. Both were OK, officials said.
Minor flooding is likely where flood control channels cross roads, and low-lying intersections will also be susceptible to minor flooding, the National Weather Service said.
Las Vegas received a record amount of rainfall — 0.35 inches — for today's date. The previous daily record was 0.26 inches in 1963.
The weather service also issued a winter storm warning for elevations above 6,000 feet until Thursday at 4 p.m. Up to 25 inches of snow was forecast for the Spring Mountains.
The Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway is closed today and Thursday because of winter storm conditions and is expected to reopen Friday.
Small hail was reported in parts of Summerlin this afternoon, the weather service said.
