Southern Nevada Braces For Heavy Rain As Hurricane Hilary Approaches

Las Vegas locals remember the summer season of 2022. It was pretty crazy with high winds damaging fences and trees, and floods abandoning people in cars. Monsoon season this year has been comparatively mild so far. Southern Nevada's monsoon season typically starts in June and goes through September, so rain and wind in August isn't uncommon. It's the time of year Las Vegas has gotten used to flash flooding and sporadic drops in temperature.

But really dramatic changes in weather are not typical even for this time of year in Las Vegas. And, according to meteorologists, that's what Southern Nevada is facing now, nevadacurrent.com reported. A tropical storm on the west coast turned into a hurricane yesterday and is increasing rapidly in intensity. And Southern Nevada is right in the path of the storm.

Hurricane Hilary is expected to stay close to land on the west coast. Which means rain and lightning for California and Southern Nevada. Las Vegas is expecting a big drop in temperatures over this weekend and early next week as a result of the storm. But that much-welcomed cooler air comes with a price.

That price is a whole lot of rain. Nevadacurrent.com reported that Las Vegas typically gets 0.32 of an inch or rain total in the month of August. But this storm alone could bring the Las Vegas metro area an inch or even more. That amount of precipitation in a short period of time means Southern Nevada should be bracing for impact.

A storm watch is already in effect for much of the southwestern part of California. Which a first in history for that area. And the Clark County Regional Flood Control has already issued a flash flood alert for the weekend and beginning of next week.

Some good tips for Las Vegas residents include pulling over or slowing down if the rain gets too heavy to control your car safely. Also keeping necessities like water, non-perishable food and a first aid kit in your car. Change your travel route if you typically drive through areas known for flash flooding. And never cross flash floods in your car or on foot.

Be safe out there, Southern Nevada. But enjoy the cooler temperatures. They won't be here for long. - Wendy Rush, 96.3 KKLZ

Let's face it...the 2022 Las Vegas monsoon season has been a doozy. And we still have a month to go. But just for a little perspective, the National Weather Service has named this the wettest Las Vegas monsoon season we've had in ten years. According to their twitter page, we've had 1.28" of rain so far this year. You can see on the graph the last ten monsoon seasons and how they compare to this year's numbers.

https://twitter.com/NWSVegas/status/1558067667558232064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1558067667558232064%7Ctwgr%5E6aaeaca5123d93433bf4e675177353e5a9605257%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F963kklz.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D423901action%3Dedit

Monsoon season starts anywhere between mid June and early July. And lasts until about mid September. Dangerous lightning, wildfires, dust storms and flash flooding. Monsoon season is not the time of year to be careless. That goes for whether we are home or out when a storm hits. On our Las Vegas roads we have seen a lot of slick pavement during this season, with the slippery combination of rainfall and discharge from automobiles. And the days after a storm haven't been any easier either. High winds and dust storms leaves a ton of debris on our roadways, making it hard to navigate even the most familiar of routes. During monsoon season, winds have been known to top 50 miles per hour, and many homes have seen damage like falling trees or broken shingles.

This year we've seen people dying in the flash floods of the underground tunnels. And Planet Hollywood just got an unexpected water feature in the middle of the gaming floor. Monsoon season is no joke. And it's important for us to remember when it's upon us. Let's do what we can to keep ourselves and our families safe during this treacherous time of year. To help in that effort, we've put together a list of tips that every resident should know during a Las Vegas monsoon season.

–Wendy Rush, 96.3KKLZ Las Vegas

Sometimes the storms during monsoon season last a few minutes. Other times it's a few hours. But wherever you are when it hits, it's best to stay put if you can. All that wind and rain makes driving more hazardous than ever. And blowing debris and lightning can also cause issues. Find something to do wherever you are and wait it out, if possible.

Texting and driving is always a bad idea, but a thousand times over during a storm. The roads are wet, visibility is compromised from rain or dust storms. This is not the time to drive with less than two hands. Never take your eyes off the road and drive under the speed limit.

Monsoon storms sometimes cause us to temporarily lose power. If you have any appliances or routers that you just cannot afford to have go out, get a back up power supply. There are lots of options, from little battery banks to full on generators. And having candles and/or flashlights on hand is never a bad idea.

During monsoon season, it's smart to keep an eye on each day's weather. If you're not used to checking on the weather before leaving the house, you can set up a lot of smart devices to automatically deliver that news every day. Then you can take the necessary precautions if a storm is headed your direction. There are also weather apps to choose from that can set up a schedule for daily reporting.

We hear it all the time! Driving (or walking) through flash flooding is a bad idea. But still people do it. If you're one of these people, keep in mind that it only takes 6 inches of moving water to knock over an adult. And only a foot and a half of it to move a vehicle. Turn around. It's not worth the risk.

Like we said, monsoon season sometimes brings winds over 50 mph. So be prepared for a little furniture rearranging on your back porch. If you have outdoor draperies, string lights or lightweight pillows, you might want to bring them in or make sure they're well-secured to something. Or you might be fishing them out of your neighbor's yard.

With all the water we've been getting in Vegas, there has been many opportunities for some water to collect in puddles here and there. Well this is the perfect breeding ground for our little mosquito friends. So during monsoon season, make it a habit to check places around your house that water can collect and dump it before those little buggers can lay their eggs.

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