Ready for Hilary? Find out how to prepare in Southern Nevada

Nevada residents should start preparing now for potential flooding or dangerous situations that may be caused by Hilary.

The heaviest rain — perhaps 2 to 4 inches in Southern Nevada — is expected to fall Saturday through Monday. Mountains to the west of the valley may receive considerably more rain, depending on the storm track and terrain.

Saturday was mostly cloudy with little rain, but that was expected to change into Sunday as Hilary draws closer.

A flood watch has been issued for the entire region from 11 a.m. Saturday through 5 p.m. Monday. It extends into Tuesday for areas north of Las Vegas along the expected storm track.

On Friday evening, Gov. Joe Lombardo announced the activation of 100 National Guardsmen to assist in Southern Nevada communities.

With the threat of heavy rain in So. Nevada from #HurricaneHilary - our @RegionalFlood is reminding people about the danger and power of floodwaters.

▪️Stay away from washes
▪️6 inches of water can sweep a person off their feet
▪️12 inches can move a car#Vegas #ClarkCounty pic.twitter.com/UpymX6rNjd

— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) August 18, 2023

The National Weather Service advises:

— Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.

— Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Area creeks and streams will be running high.

— Outdoor recreation is ill-advised in the Spring Mountains, including Red Rock and Mount Charleston.

— People are advised to not enter concrete washes in the Las Vegas Valley. Storms often lead to drownings and perilous swift-water rescues.

Prepare for Hurricane Hilary☔💨

We are providing sandbags to residents for FREE in preparation for Hurricane Hilary. Sand is not included but can be found at any home improvement or garden nursery.

Pickup is available tomorrow, August 19, and Sunday, August 20, from 9am to… pic.twitter.com/MdmfqF2FSF

— City of Henderson (@cityofhenderson) August 18, 2023

Sandbags available

For Henderson, pickup will be available for bags — without sand — Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon at Heritage Park Senior Facility, 30 S Racetrack Road, and Whitney Ranch Recreation Center, 1575 Galleria Drive.

Las Vegas will provide sandbags at the west yard, 2950 Ronemus Drive, and at the east yard, 3128 East Bonanza Road.

The Sandbag Store, 2752 Abels Lane, will have three pallets of sandbags outside of their offices this weekend for public use.

Some locations ran out of sand on Friday night.

Power outages

NV Energy said it is monitoring the storm and has taken extra precautions, said spokeswoman Meghin Delaney.

Crews are prepared and on stand-by to outages caused by Hilary. Customers are encouraged to ensure their mobile phone numbers are listed on their NV Energy account and to sign up for outage alerts through MyAccount.

Report a power outage here.

Make a plan

— Write down emergency phone numbers and keep them on the refrigerator or near every phone in the house. Put them into your cellphone too.

— Prepare an emergency supply kit with enough food and water for 72 hours.

— Locate the nearest shelter and different routes to get there.

— Stay indoors and away from windows.

Crews reaching out to tunnel residents

Homeless people who live in the flood tunnels under Las Vegas face unique risks. With heavy rain projected for the mountains, runoff will likely make flood channels and tunnels dangerous.

“We often lose someone in the tunnels in these big rains,” said David Marlon, executive director of Vegas Stronger. “We are always trying to pull people out of the tunnels and into help, but it seems Mother Nature is about to make a big push.”

Marlon said staffers in four vans reached out to tunnel dwellers and larger homeless camps Friday.

“They don’t use the internet much or watch TV so word of mouth is really powerful to get to them,” he said.

Clark County staffers also have been working with HELP of Southern NV’s Mobile Outreach Team to clear flood channels.

The county is also working with the Red Cross on available bed space for sheltering, if needed.

Possible school closures

Plans as of Saturday afternoon are to hold regular classes for Clark County School District students.

Any decision about school closures would be communicated to the public from CCSD and shared by Clark County on social media, said Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Weiling.

Cellphones become more critical

— Keep devices dry: While many phones have some degree of water protection, ensure phones, tablets, batteries, chargers and other equipment remain dry and accessible. Plastic zipper storage bags help shield devices.

— Keep devices fully charged: Make sure your device is ready when you need it.

— Get some backup: When power is out for an extended period of time, portable battery packs can be a game-changer. Don’t forget your car chargers as well.

— Create a list: Keep a list of emergency numbers in your phone.

— Be prepared for loss: Take pictures of valuables and other important belongings for possible insurance claims and make sure they’re uploaded to the cloud so you have a backup.

— Review the hurricane preparedness checklist, power outage checklist and other resources from the American Red Cross.

Closures, cancellations, changes

— The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will be closed effective midnight tonight. The order does not apply to private parcels, state highways or any other non-Forest Service property within the boundaries of the forest areas.

— The U.S. Forest Service announced that the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, including Lee Canyon, will be closed Saturday and Sunday.

— The National Park Service said that portions of Lake Mead National Recreation Area will be closed Saturday from 9 a.m. until Monday. The areas scheduled to be closed are the Temple Bar, Cottonwood Cove, Cottonwood Cove East, Nevada Telephone Cove, Christmas Tree Pass, Willow Beach and Eldorado Canyon. Other locations may also close as conditions warrant. The park is providing the latest information to the public on updated conditions via social media and the Lake Mead NRA Current Conditions web page.

— The NPS also announced that Death Valley National Park will be partially closed from Saturday at 11 a.m. until Tuesday at 5 p.m. Death Valley could receive more than its annual average rainfall during the storm, which is predicted to cause major flooding. The potential flash floods will make it impossible to get into or out of the park, according to NPS.

— The Pahrump Community Pool will be closed Saturday and Sunday.

— The Pop 2000s Tour scheduled for Saturday at Palms has been moved indoors to KAOS.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on X.