Thunderstorms cause localized flooding, crashes in Las Vegas
Thunderstorms boomed and bounced around the Las Vegas Valley on Wednesday, causing localized flooding, numerous traffic accidents and transportation delays but relatively little damage.
The blustery day began with scattered storms that produced heavy rains, most of them concentrated in the southeast valley.
The Regional Flood Control District said heavy rainfall was reported in Laughlin, Searchlight and eastern Henderson. Most of the district’s rain gauges in Henderson recorded well more than an inch of rain in an hour, spokeswoman Erin Neff said.
As of 10 a.m., about 14½ feet of water had collected in the Pittman East Detention Basin, a basin to protect against flooding that can hold up to 49 feet of water, in eastern Henderson, Neff said.
The weather service reported 1.65 inches of rainfall in Henderson and 0.5 to 0.9 inches in the rest of the southwest valley. The rest of the valley saw lighter rains, the weather service said. A rain gauge at McCarran International Airport measured just 0.09 inches.
Because rain did not fall within official Las Vegas city limits, the Las Vegas Fire Department did not make any flash flood rescues, spokesman Tim Szymanski said.
Clark County Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Buchanan said his organization received weather-related calls but that none were serious or involved rescues.
A thunderstorm and wet roadway were “more than likely” to blame for a jackknifed tractor-trailer that blocked the eastbound 215 Beltway ramp leading to northbound Interstate 15 during the morning commute, Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Jason Buratczuk said. The ramp reopened about 10 a.m., he said.
Lightning struck a palm tree in the central valley just before 8 a.m. at a shopping center on 6455 Dean Martin Drive, the Clark County Fire Department said in a statement. Embers had fallen from the tree onto a building’s roof, causing a fire.
Damages have not been estimated, the Fire Department said. No injuries were reported.
Twenty flights at McCarran were diverted to other airports due to the weather conditions between 8 and 9 a.m., spokeswoman Christine Crews said. Later in the morning, arriving flights were delayed an average of 1 hour and 17 minutes, she said.
By evening, rainfall decreased and the airport resumed most of its regular operations, spokesman Jon Apisa said.
“It was business as usual,” he said.
The heavy rainfall and flooding also caused delays on the public transportation system in the southern valley, according to the Regional Transportation Commission. It said delays were reported on bus Routes 201, 212, 217, 503 and 903.
The Metropolitan Police Department said that crashes increased because of weather conditions, though exact metrics could not be provided. Oils on the road are loosened by rain, making the pavement slick and causing an increase in rear-end crashes, Metro spokesman Jay Rivera said.
“You need to modify the way you drive when it rains,” he said. “It’s that simple.”
Tree limb intrudes
Ginger McGraw, 63, of Henderson said the winds accompanying the storms downed a tree limb that punched a hole in her roof around 8 a.m.
“I looked out the window and the oleanders were swinging and swaying and stuff and I heard a thud,” she said. “I looked out this way and I looked out that way in the backyard. … And I walked into the bedroom and water was pouring.”
The National Weather Service kept a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, some of which could produce heavy rains, in the forecast for Thursday. But it said the day would be mostly sunny, with a high near 103 degrees with mild winds.
Friday is forecast to be sunny and hot, with a high of 106 degrees, before a chance of showers and thunderstorms creeps back into the forecast on Saturday. Sunday and Monday are both expected to be hot and sunny, with forecast highs of 107 degrees both days.
Overnight lows through the weekend should remain in the mid-80s.
Contact Isabelle Delgado at idelgado@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @izzydd_ on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writers Art Marroquin, Max Michor, Rachel Hershkovitz and staff photographer Patrick Connolly contributed to this report.
