Recent floods

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 | 10:20 a.m.

Floods are commonplace in Clark County, with the most damaging storms occurring between July and September.

The Clark County Regional Flood Control District reported on its website that the county has lost 26 lives in 13 separate flash flood events since 1960. At least nine of those floods each caused at least $1 million in property damage.

A comprehensive study of local flooding was put together by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, which documented 184 floods in the county between 1905 and 1975 that resulted in damage to private property and public facilities.

The nine most recent county flood reports available on the flood control district website include:

Torrential morning rains that fell over a 90-minute period caused $20.5 million in property damage and claimed two lives. The largest rainfall occurred in the northwest, west and southwest portions of the Las Vegas Valley. Rain gauges measured rainfall in excess of 3 inches in some areas. Then-President Bill Clinton declared Las Vegas a disaster area on July 19, 1999.

Nearly half the county was pounded by an inch of rainfall accompanied by hail during a late-morning storm. Widespread drainage problems were reported and the county suffered $400,000 in road damage. Some of the heaviest damage was in the northeast county, with five homes in Bunkerville sustaining major flood damage.

The Las Vegas Valley was pelted with at least an inch of rain on three separate days during that period. Downtown suffered power outages on July 20. One power outage victim was the office used by the flood control district. Numerous roadways in the valley also were closed because of flooding. The media reported two deaths attributed to the July 20 storm, but one reportedly was a heart attack. A second death was reported when flood water swept a car off Boulder Highway near the Flamingo Wash.

The valley was hit with flash flooding, particularly in the western and northwestern neighborhoods. Pahrump in Nye County also reported three inches of rainfall. Numerous roads were temporarily closed.

Las Vegas and North Las Vegas received heavy rainfall on Aug. 9, but Henderson and Boulder City suffered worse conditions the following day. Boulder City reported $350,000 in damage to uninsured private properties and $1.85 million in damage to public facilities. Henderson suffered $3.6 million in damage to public facilities, mostly roadways, drainage systems and parks. Some areas approached or exceeded 100-year rainfall levels. One man died in Henderson when he got swept off of his feet by rapidly moving water in the street and drowned beneath a vehicle.

Severe thunderstorms pounded the area, particularly east of McCarran International Airport and in the northwest valley. Extensive street flooding was reported near the airport. In the northwest, there were reports of hail up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Noteworthy is that Gowan Road, which was hit particularly hard by Tuesday's downpour, experienced rainwater flow above the curb to the back of the sidewalk in many spots between U.S. 95 and the Lone Mountain Detention Basin during the July 1996 storm.

The valley received nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain on each day during 15-minute storms. The only damage reported was attributed to wind. But one homeless man reportedly died after being swept from box culverts beneath Koval Lane due to flow in the Flamingo Wash.

A thunderstorm caused street flooding in the northwest valley, with more than 1.5 inches of rainfall reported in the Desert Shores area. Numerous automobiles also stalled in flood waters at the Jones Boulevard underpass beneath U.S. 95.

A Pacific Ocean storm dumped more than 1.5 inches of rain throughout the valley, with a Henderson rain gauge recording 2.4 inches over a 16-hour period. Runoff was spotted on many streets and washes but only minimal damage was reported.

Compiled by Sun reporter Steve Kanigher

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