Las Vegas faces lingering flash-flood risk after record storm Rachel rainfall
Emergency forecasters declared regional flood watches across Las Vegas and neighboring states on Monday. Lingering downpours threatened streets already swamped by weekend storms. Weather experts warned of isolated thunderstorms across the Southwest.
The city tied an all-time daily rainfall record for the month of October. It received 1.08 inches of rain into Sunday morning. That measurement came from the National Weather Service.
The last time that much rain fell in one October day was 1947. Videos on social media showed a torrent of water near the Las Vegas Strip. The rushing water moved past casinos and a Ferris wheel.
Andrew Orrison, a weather service meteorologist, said localized flash flooding remained a risk Monday. He said the wet pattern had not fully cleared.
“We’ve seen the worst of what Rachel brought … but unfortunately we are looking at the disturbed weather still lingering,” Orrison said.
The agency issued flood watches through Monday afternoon. The watches covered northern and central Arizona, including the Grand Canyon. Alerts also spanned southeast Idaho and a large swath of Utah.
The extra rain is not associated with Rachel, Orrison said. It comes from a separate weather system moving across the West. Forecasters expect the rain to end by Wednesday.
Over the weekend, Rachel brought wind, rain, and unusually large waves to Southern California. Oceanside residents in Long Beach evacuated their homes. Heavy surf tore apart a historic boardwalk and smashed houses.
Meanwhile, the East Coast is forecast to stay clear. Hurricane Isaias has moved well offshore. At least four deaths have been linked to the storm.
Isaias struck Friday as a Category 2 hurricane near Destin, Florida. It then crossed into Alabama with tropical-force winds. The system moved farther north afterward.
About 158,000 utility customers lacked power Monday morning in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. That figure came from poweroutage.com. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expected power restored for most by Tuesday night.
Drier conditions are expected soon from the mid-Atlantic down through the Southeast. That dry pattern includes the southern Appalachians. Orrison said temperatures there will feel higher than normal this week.
Flash flood watches alert the public to sudden water hazards in dry terrain. Emergency managers advise drivers to avoid moving water across desert roads. Municipal teams clear drainage basins during major runoffs.
Road crews monitored neighborhood runoff across Las Vegas as conditions settled. Sunshine is expected to return later in the week.
