This year, Las Vegas has seen its most intense monsoon season in over a decade.
According to the National Weather Service, we haven’t received over an inch of rainfall since 2015. This year, Las Vegas received 1.28 inches of rainfall. And this abnormal weather has come with some dire consequences.
Recently, two people were found dead in a flood channel after intense rainfall in the region, according to 8 News Now.
Along with this horrible situation, social media lit up with tons of videos that showed water pouring from the ceilings of casinos or gushing through the streets of The Strip.
But the extreme flooding isn’t the only weather anomalies that have been plaguing the region. According to National Public Radio, cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Houston have set heat records almost every summer.
Tornados have even been happening in the region. The NWS reports that since 1950, there has been 42 reported tornados in Clark, Lincoln and Mohave Counties.
With all of these floods and weather occurrences happening, it’s important to know if your living area is prone to flooding. Click HERE to see if your home or property is located within a flood zone.
There’s also a few steps you can take to protect your property if a flash flood warning is sent out.
- Check your homeowners insurance because most of them do not cover floods.
- Get sandbags just in case.
- Place items above your home’s flood line.
- Flood insurance takes an average of 30 days to kick in.
- Always have an emergency kit with non-perishable goods, water and a flashlight
You also need to be weary of your vehicle’s safety when it comes to flash floods. A few seconds can lead to a whole road becoming inundated, which is bad news for your car. Here are some tips to help you navigate flood waters, so you can stay safe and keep your car protected!
- Don’t drive through flooded roads or around barricades (if they’re set up).
- Six inches of fast moving water can sweep a vehicle off the roadway.
- Keep your car in first gear with the revs high if you’re stuck in standing water.
- If you’re in the middle of standing water and your car stalls then either turn it back on as fast as you can or don’t do it at all. You want to avoid your car from “hydrolocking.”
- Try to park your car on the highest part of the road if officials issue a flood warning
Since Vegas is experiencing some funky weather amid this monsoon season, here’s a list of the “weirdest” weather events that’ve happened in Las Vegas!
Thunderstorm Murdered 700 Cows
According to the Las Vegas Sun, a complex thunderstorm developed over northeast Clark County. This caused a massive flood that killed over 700 cattle at a dairy farm.
Operation Save The Animals
The snowiest winter in Nevada was in 1948-1949, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Due to an influx of snow, a large airlift operation was initiated to get stranded livestock from northern and eastern Nevada. However, it was too late for 25% of the animals.
