Desert winds often make Las Vegas headlines — a brief history

Havoc from the desert wind is a familiar story in Las Vegas, where gusts occasionally split palo verde trees and send garbage cans scooting down the street. More serious damage to buildings and property is not unusual.

Power outages that snarl traffic and leave residents in the dark are frequently tied to windstorms.

Thursday’s storm, which ignited a rare dust storm warning, was the latest chapter. Among the memorable stories:

Crane collapse at bridge construction: On Sept. 15, 2006, 55 mph winds caused a “high line” crane system to collapse during construction of the Mike O’Callahan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. No one was hurt, but the incident caused concern about the bridge design. The bridge is designed to withstand 100 mph winds, according to a Review-Journal report from Jan. 5, 2007. The problem with the crane delayed completion of the bridge by two years.

Vegas World sign: A May 30, 1991, storm knocked over the sign at Vegas World, the resort owned by Las Vegas legend Bob Stupak that eventually became the Stratosphere. At the time, the sign was known as the largest exterior sign in the world. Winds left the sign partially hanging over Las Vegas Boulevard, and a company was brought in to take it apart the next day.

Las Vegas Hilton sign damaged: A powerful thunderstom in July 1994 toppled the marquee at the former Las Vegas Hilton, now the Westgate.

Today reminds me of the time the old Las Vegas Hilton sign was blown down in 1994. What will it be today? #VegasWind pic.twitter.com/wnv1ljNOzq

— Erik Pappa (@epappa) March 31, 2017

Tornadoes in Nevada: On March 30, 1992, damaged a home near Las Vegas. It was the last officially recognized tornado in Clark County.

‘Tornado winds:’ A July 2013 storm produced spectacular lightning and a gust of 71 mph. “Tornado-like” conditions forced evacuation of Atrium Garden Condos on the city’s east side. Trees fell onto buildings and caused residents to relocate while repairs were made.

Another storm of note occurred in March 2012, when the Hoover Dam bypass bridge was closed after gusts over 50 mph left a cable across the road. The structure is not a suspension bridge.

The Henderson Pavilion was damaged in May of 2010, requiring repairs that cost about $300,000.

Gusts in excess of 70 mph hit Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains in October of 2013, taking out power at the Fashion Show mall. On the same day, a gust of 103 was recorded in Northern Nevada near the Mount Rose ski resort.

And most recently, strong winds on March 5 caused numerous power outages across the valley and fanned the flames of a building fire across from the Rio. Also, three power poles were knocked down on Koval Lane near the Strip.