Monsoon storms continue pounding Southwest, charge north after days of heavy flooding in Las Vegas
Storms swamp Burning Man festival in Nevada, confining attendees
Thunderstorms struck the annual Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert on Friday, Sept. 1, confining thousands of attendees to wet conditions as organizers closed the gate and the site’s temporary airport. (Credit: Debora Domass via Storyful)
LAS VEGAS - It’s been a soggy start to September in the Desert Southwest as the monsoon season gets in some final licks before autumn begins and the monsoon patterns fade.
Flood Watches extended across a large swath of the Southwest and parts of the Northwest on Sunday, extending from Nevada into southwestern Utah, throughout Idaho and eastern Oregon.
Rounds of scattered strong thunderstorms are likely again Sunday that can drop a quick inch of rain or more, triggering flash flooding and excessive runoff.
Monsoon rains and flash flooding stranded tens of thousands of people who were attending the Burning Man festival in remote western Nevada. Authorities confirmed that they are investigating at least one death that was reported during the rain event at Burning Man.
Festival goers have been told to shelter in place until it's safe to drive. Gates into and out of Black Rock City, Nevada remain closed to vehicle traffic because of the wet conditions on the playa.
LAS VEGAS ROADS SWAMPED AS MONSOON THUNDERSTORMS TRIGGER FLASH FLOODING
Las Vegas has seen rounds of strong thunderstorms push through the region, dropping torrential rains and triggering multiple areas of flash flooding. Stranded cars were strewn across multiple areas of town as roads became shallow rivers amid rainfall rates that dropped nearly an inch in minutes.
The National Weather Service office in Las Vegas recorded 0.88 inches Friday, which is nearly three times their entire September monthly average and was their wettest September day in 11 years.
The Las Vegas International Airport has measured 3.99 inches of monsoonal rain this year with 28 days left in the season. However, rain totals have varied throughout the Las Vegas Valley through the monsoon season with 4 inches recorded in areas outside of downtown Las Vegas, according to the Clark County Regional Flood Control District.
7 FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLASH FLOODS
Farther outside the city, several vehicles became stuck along State Route 127 as heavy rains flooded the road around Baker and Tecopa.
Both Directors of Interstate 15 were closed to State Road 168/Glendale Boulevard because of flooding on Hidden Valley Road, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Video recorded by Dwayne Scales of StormRunner Media shows a bus stranded on Lake Mead Boulevard as muddy water rushes by and cars continue to attempt to drive through the intense water.
Flooding also closed multiple other roads in Mt. Charleston over the weekend.
"Emergency management reported ongoing, extensive flash flooding across the Las Vegas Valley from rain that fell earlier in the evening," NWS Las Vegas wrote on X.
In addition, NWS reported ongoing water rescues across the valley and pleaded for drivers to stay off the roads — and not to put other drivers at risk either.
"Throw that frozen pizza in the oven for dinner," NWS Las Vegas said. "Please do not put food delivery drivers (& local first responders by extension) at risk."
Flash Flood Warnings peppered the valley through Saturday, with rockslides and washouts reported south of the city in the area around Parker Dam.
The heavy rain proved to be too much for the Allegiant Stadium's roof to handle. A football game between the Bryant Bulldogs and UNLV Rebels was taking place in the arena when water started to leak in.
Some observation sites reported about 2 inches of rain, causing some streets to resemble rapids.
The Las Vegas area should begin to dry out Sunday. However, showers and thunderstorms will shift farther north into Northern Utah, including Salt Lake City, and southeastern Idaho and eastern Oregon on Sunday.
Southern Utah was facing an increasing flash flooding threat on Sunday due to more monsoonal rain in the forecast.
Heavy rainfall in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah caused rock and mudslides over the weekend. National Park Service rangers closed The Navajo Trail Loop to hikers on Sunday because of dangerous conditions.
Read more of this story from FOX Weather.