By Ricardo Torres
The Las Vegas Sun
LAS VEGAS — A thunderstorm packing heavy rain, strong winds and hail rolled through the Las Vegas Valley on Saturday, prompting flash floods and swift water rescues.
Members of the Clark County Fire Department rescued a 50-year-old man from a flood control channel under the Dean Martin Drive overpass, south of Tropicana Avenue, behind the closed Golden Palms Hotel, officials said. He was trapped with rising water and heavy rain but was uninjured.
Three people trapped in the flood control channel on Dean Martin, north of Flamingo Road, also were rescued, officials said. One suffered a minor leg injury and was hospitalized.
Fire department crews were posted in other hazardous areas in case anyone else needed rescue, officials said.
The Clark County Regional Flood Control District advised that drivers “turn around and don’t drown” when they see flood water. Vehicles can stall in as little as 1 foot of rain and can become uncontrollable in 2 feet of water.
There were reports of 8 feet of water at the Desert Rose Golf Course and 9 feet of water in the Las Vegas Wash, west of Nellis, flood control officials said.
The strong part of the storm was moving out through North Las Vegas early Saturday afternoon, where nearly 1.5 inches of rain was reported at the city’s airport, National Weather Service meteorologist Barry Pierce said. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., the Regional Transportation Commission reported that ramp lanes were flooded on Interstate 15 near U.S. Highway 95 and that Spring Mountain Road was flooded from Industrial Road and Valley View Boulevard.
There were reports of pea-sized to quarter-inch hail reported through the valley as well as wind gusts up to 50 mph, Pierce said.
Las Vegans should expect more rainfall and thunderstorms through the evening, which aren’t forecast to be as strong, he said.
The flash flood warning set for the central and west valley is set to expire at 4 p.m., he said.
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