A woman was stranded on her car roof as floodwater rushed through a Las Vegas street. Crews made multiple swift-water rescues after Rachel’s remnants brought widespread flooding and dozens of calls for help.
By Sunday morning, floodwater had turned a Las Vegas street into a fast-moving channel. A woman was stranded on her car roof until rescue crews reached her and guided her to safety. Las Vegas Fire & Rescue carried out multiple swift-water rescues across the valley that morning.
The current carried debris past partly submerged vehicles.
Video of the rescue shows water rushing through the street. Heavy rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel caused widespread flooding. The heaviest rain fell from the night of Oct. 10 into the morning of Oct. 11, with some parts of the valley receiving 2 to 3 inches in less than 12 hours.
The storm remnants prompted dozens of rescue calls across the area. Another video showed floodwater surging along the Vegas Strip, turning streets into rushing channels. The National Weather Service reported flooding at Cottonwood Canyon Park. It also reported standing water near Flamingo Wash on the Strip. Localized erosion was reported on Interstate 215 near Charleston. Floodwater and debris closed some roads and disrupted traffic.
The National Weather Service issued flood alerts for the Las Vegas Valley and surrounding areas. A flood warning remained in effect at least until 5 a.m. on Oct. 12. Scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected to continue on Oct. 12 and 13, particularly in northeastern Clark County. Lincoln and Mohave counties were also in the forecast.
Rachel’s remnants brought 1.08 inches of rain to Las Vegas on Oct. 11, setting a record for that date. The total matched the highest daily rainfall recorded on any October day, set on Oct. 12, 1947, the Associated Press reported. The previous Oct. 11 record was 0.78 inches, set in 2012.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jenn Soulat said Las Vegas averages just over 4 inches of rain annually. The city received about a quarter of that annual total in a few hours.
Across Clark County, rainfall measurements over the 24-hour period ranged from 1.10 to 2.45 inches. Harry Reid International Airport recorded 1.28 inches. Red Rock Canyon and the western valley received 2.45 inches. Henderson/Green Valley recorded 1.62 inches, while downtown Las Vegas received 1.41 inches.
Rachel had strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Oct. 1 before weakening to a tropical storm and carrying moisture into the Southwest.
