A car drives through a flash flood in front of the LINQ parking garage and surrounding areas in Las Vegas, Nev. on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 | 6 p.m.
The monsoon season has left Las Vegans with memories of floods and thunderstorms, and official rainfall totals only tell part of the story.
According to the National Weather Service, Las Vegas experienced 1.21 inches of rain from June 1 to Sept. 30.
The normal monsoon season rainfall total for the area is about 1.05 inches.
The measurement came as a surprise to the weather service's social media following, meteorologist Justin Pullin said.
Though thunderstorms, lightning, hail and floods all made appearances in Las Vegas during monsoon season, official measurements are based on the National Weather Service's observation site at McCarran International Airport.
Pullin pointed out that although McCarran is the official site for gauge observation in Las Vegas, it was spared from some of the storms that caused street flooding and heavier rainfall in other parts of the valley.
The Clark County Regional Flood Control District's gauges show that the western part of the valley received about 2.5 to 2.75 inches of rain during the same period, meteorologist John Adair said.
The area saw street flooding, hail and quickly moving storms throughout the season.
The National Weather Service says some areas in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico received more rain in a day than in a typical season.
The Moapa Valley area northeast of Las Vegas suffered the brunt of a storm that hit Clark County Sept. 8.
Officials tallied 139 flood-damaged homes in Moapa, Overton and Logandale following flash flooding that also washed out parts of Interstate 15.
The traditional monsoon season runs from mid-June to the end of September and is characterized by thunderstorms that stir up dust storms or rain.
Meteorologists say parts of Phoenix received more than 6 inches of rain, making it the seventh wettest season on record.
In New Mexico, gauges in metropolitan Albuquerque measured more than 5 inches.
Some homes and roads in the region are still awaiting repairs from flood damage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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