Airport shuts down while winds whip Las Vegas

Tuesday, April 16, 2002 | 9:22 a.m.

Gusting winds knocked down trees and power poles, drove residents and tourists indoors and closed roads, building sites and the nation's seventh busiest airport.

"We had a ground stop declared by FAA traffic control about 1:30 p.m., which means no operations are allowed on the runway," airport spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued the order effectively closing the airport because of low visibility caused by swirling dust, Grey said.

At the time there were about 25 planes on the ground and 12 in a holding pattern waiting to land, Grey said. The incoming flights were diverted to airports in Southern California and Phoenix before the order was lifted at 3:30 p.m.

"This is really unusual for here because normally aircraft can operate in windy conditions," she said. It was the longest weather closure in more than two years.

The National Weather Service reported some gusts at more than 70 mph, which knocked down trees, signs and utility lines leaving some customers in the outlying communities of Coal Creek, Indian Springs, Jean and Blue Diamond without electricity.

Nevada Power Co. reported at least 20 downed power poles in the city's northwest area between Mt. Charleston and Indian Springs.

"We had a 178 operations today when on a normal day we may have one or a half-dozen," said Andrea Smith, utility spokeswoman.

An estimated 85,000 customers were without power at various times throughout the day, Smith said. All service was expected to be restored by Monday night.

Smith added that while a few of the city's hotel-casinos were affected by the outages, all have backup generators to keep the lights on and the slot machines and air conditioners running.

Some traffic lights were out, which snarled commutes throughout the valley.

Strong winds were clocked at more than 45 mph, and one gust was measured unofficially at 90 mph on the city's south side.

A 30-foot pine tree blew into the second-floor window of a southwest Las Vegas apartment building and a rickety structure similar to a chicken coop blew down not far away, said Bob Leinbach, Clark County fire department spokesman.

Motorists found difficult conditions on roads because of blowing sand. U.S. 95 was closed north of Boulder City because of poor visibility, authorities said.

The Nevada Highway Patrol reported truck crashes on U.S. 95 and Interstate 15.

The 13-mile scenic loop around Red Rock National Conservation Area, 15 miles west of Las Vegas, also was shut down due to high winds and damage at the fee booth. It was scheduled to reopen on Tuesday.

The high winds brought dust conditions to dangerous levels in the Las Vegas valley, said county air quality officials who urged people to remain indoors and avoid strenuous activities.

The Clark County Department of Air Quality Management shut down numerous construction sites and dispatched trucks to water down land under development around sensitive populations, including elementary schools, nursing homes and hospitals.