Las Vegas sees more monsoon storms, 16K lose power

More than 16,000 NV Energy customers lost power in the Las Vegas Valley on Friday night as a third night of monsoon rains targeted the region.

Storms that approached the valley from the north began breaking up around 7:30 p.m. But they still managed to drop rain and whip up winds, primarily on the east side.

Thunderstorm in @summerlinlv. When you’re downhill, you get a river. Follow @reviewjournal for complete storm coverage. pic.twitter.com/vEKI84R3Ht

— Glenn Cook (@Glenn_CookNV) July 30, 2022

The cells dispersed around 9 p.m. after dropping light rain in a spotty fashion across much of the valley before heading south toward California.

Power outages were scattered across the valley, with 2,700 being the largest in the area of East Desert Inn Road and East Sahara Avenue.

While the outage was the largest of the three stormy nights, there was no shortage of lightning storms. The storm caused a temporary ground stop at Harry Reid International Airport.

Apartment damage

One storm damaged some units at a Las Vegas apartment complex just after 10 p.m., Clark County fire officials said. Multiple large trees were blown over into vehicles and structures at the complex, located at 2680 Atlantic St.

Officials said “at least three separate buildings with multiple units had heavy damage.” The apartments were evacuated, affecting at least 45 residents.

A temporary evacuation shelter was opened at Orr Middle School by the American Red Cross. One non-life threatening injury was reported.

Heavy downpours

The storm delivered sudden and heavy downpours in a few spots while nearby gauges showed no precipitation, attesting to the spotty activity.

Brownstone Canyon at Red Rock received .43 of an inch in 5 minutes around 9:10 p.m. while a gauge at the 215 Beltway and Cheyenne Avenue recorded .51 of an inch in 15 minutes. A northwest Summerlin gauge showed .35 of an inch in 15 minutes.

A gauge at the Flamingo Wash and Mojave recorded .75 of an inch in less than an hour. That spot had the most precipitation.

“Fortunately the storms were moving pretty quick,” meteorologist Matt Woods said.

A gust of 54 mph at Nellis Air Force Base was the top wind speed in the valley while a 52 mph gust was recorded at North Las Vegas Airport.

Pahrump was also hit with strong winds and thunderstorms in the early evening.

Wet week

Two cells drenched the valley on Thursday night, causing some serious flooding and tree damage. Several areas received an inch or more of precipitation.

It was the second evening in a row for monsoon rains to hit the valley. A large portion of the valley saw at least a little bit of rain Wednesday. Winds up to 60 mph were recorded near Nellis Air Force Base.

Monsoon conditions are forecast for the weekend and into next week.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com or 702-863-4285. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.