Damage to Echo Road is shown during a tour of flood damage on Mount Charleston Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Areas of Mount Charleston suffered significant flood damage caused by Tropical Storm Hilary.
Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Aimee Williams woke during the early morning hours Monday to a neighbor calling to say a roaring flash flood was sweeping through their small community of Old Town on Mount Charleston.
One by one, neighbors called neighbors alerting them of the danger. Each rushed into motion, moving vehicles, adding sandbags around their houses, saving what could be saved as the waters rose.
They watched as debris such as trees, rock and mud tumbled in the powerful current. They waited. Alone. Cut off from each other and without immediate assistance from any emergency services.
The National Weather Service says the upper Spring Mountain range received about 6 to 10 inches of rainfall, while lower elevations such as Mount Charleston received about 2 to 4 inches as the remnants of Hurricane Hillary rolled through Sunday night and early Monday morning.
About 51 people were evacuated from the mountain by Mount Charleston Fire Protection District during the early morning hours of Monday. Yet, like Williams, many remained in their homes.
The park remains closed indefinitely to visitors as flash floods cut large swaths out of main roadways throughout the Mount Charleston area. It is expected to remain closed through the summer with a potential reopening Oct. 1, forest service representatives said Friday.
The damaged school, which houses about 16 students of all ages, remains empty and plans for how and when students will return to school are still unknown.
Mount Charleston’s Volunteer Fire Department’s building was completely destroyed as water flowed through the building leaving behind mounds of rock and a thick layer of mud across its floor.
Some homes received damage and flooding but overall remained intact throughout the flood.
A voluntary evacuation has been put in place for residents who live in the small communities scattered around the mountain, but some remain.
Power was restored Wednesday night, but most homes are without running water.
Destruction on Kyle Canyon Road, or Highway 157, reduced the road to one jagged lane in more than half a dozen spots. On Friday, the land below it was scattered with concrete pieces from the roadway, twisted roadway signs and mangled trees.
Williams said water from the flooding kept her and others trapped in their homes for about a day.
“I was afraid,” Williams said. “It was so strong. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Sean Reeh knows weather can be extreme on the mountain, and he heard the predictions of possible historic flooding, but he went to bed Sunday feeling confident that his family would be ok. Rain had been falling for days and it all was draining without any concerns.
Like Williams, he was woken up at about 2 a.m. to a call from a neighbor.
“We were on an island,” Reeh said. “I had to pull my jeep up a couple feet or I would have lost it.”
He was unable to save his motorcycle and Land Rover.
The next morning, a 15-foot trench stretched in front of his house, he said. The driveway was gone.
NV Energy built a makeshift bridge over the trench to remove debris, Reeh said. He said the company also helped neighbors pull vehicles out of trenches.
Neighbor after neighbor expressed their appreciation Friday for the energy provider, saying the company went above and beyond to help residents.
A sign hung at the Old Town mailboxes thanking NV Energy.
Reeh and his wife, Katie, continue to have concerns days after the flooding. One of the most prominent surrounds when and how their children, ages 4, 9 and 12, will return to school.
There’s a fear that the Clark County School District will bus them into a larger school 40 minutes away, Katie Reeh said. She said the atmosphere would be a stark contrast to the small school they attend on the mountain.
Earl B. Lundy Elementary School received extensive damage, Rob Hutchinson, Clark County director of facilities, said Friday. However, he said he was unable to answer any questions about student-related issues such as how and when students would return to classes.
Much of the damage on Mount Charleston continued to be assessed and crews worked to fix roadways.
Mario Gomez, Nevada Department of Transportation assistant district engineer, said extensive damage was sustained to Highways 156, 157 and 158. He said at some spots, the roadways had up to 80-foot cuts.
An emergency declaration for the area will speed up contracts, Gomez said. Gov. Joe Lombardo issued a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
Typically, it would take months to bid a contract out for roadwork, he said Friday. He said the department hopes to have a contractor working on the project by next week.
Working quickly is critical as inclement weather could slow down or stop work as early as October, he said.
Preliminary estimates put the job at $5 to $8 million, but the number is likely to change, Gomez said.
Funding for the project will come from state emergency funds or possible federal aid, he said.
Las Vegas Valley Water district continued to assess damage, a spokesman said Friday. The company provided more than 1,000 gallons of bottled water and brought in a tank of water for residents still living in the area.
Deborah McNeil, with the U.S. Forest Service, said Mount Charleston’s recreational areas also received damage. She said the park continues to assess this.
“We will open areas that are safe when we can,” McNeil said. “I understand that Labor Day is soon. We won’t be opening until at least Oct. 1.”
Jason Douglas, Mount Charleston Fire Department assistant chief, said no one was injured in the flooding and so far, no one has been injured during cleanup. He said closures to the area will hopefully ensure that no one is injured in the future.
