Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel inundated the Las Vegas Valley on Sunday morning. The storm flooded streets, stranded vehicles, and forced temporary road closures. The slow-moving system dumped more than an inch of rain across parts of the western valley and shattered daily rainfall records at Harry Reid International Airport, according to the National Weather Service and local reports.
Record-Breaking Rainfall Across the Valley
Harry Reid International Airport measured 1.08 inches of rainfall from midnight through Sunday morning. This easily surpassed the previous daily record of 0.78 inches set in 2012. According to updates from the National Weather Service’s Las Vegas office, this total also tied the all-time daily record for October, which was originally set on October 12, 1947.
Precipitation totals varied across Clark County:
- The western and northwest parts of the valley, including Summerlin, recorded upwards of 1.5 inches of rain.
- Floyd Lamb State Park in the northwest averaged 2.7 inches of rain.
- Parts of Kyle and Lee Canyons in the Spring Mountains netted more than two inches.
- Neighboring Pahrump in Nye County received roughly 1.5 inches of rainfall.
Before Sunday’s storm, Las Vegas had accumulated just 1.1 inches of rainfall for the entire year. This left the city roughly 2.1 inches below normal expectations for the period.
Flash Flooding, Rescues, and Travel Disruptions
The intense downpours prompted widespread Flash Flood Warnings and a Flood Watch across Southern Nevada. The affected areas included the Las Vegas Valley, Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, and the Spring Mountains. Emergency crews responded to approximately 10 water rescues across Las Vegas by early Sunday afternoon. This included an incident where the Henderson Fire Department’s technical rescue team pulled a person from a stalled vehicle near Moonwalk Terrace and East Paradise Hills Drive.
Infrastructure impacts were felt throughout the region:
- Flash flooding forced the closure of Koval Lane and Winnick Avenue, areas behind The LINQ near the Las Vegas Strip, and roads near the Rio Hotel.
- All lanes on Primm Boulevard at Interstate 15 were closed near the Nevada-California state line due to standing water.
- The Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway closed for the day on Sunday.
- A Wind Advisory brought south winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts reaching up to 40 mph, raising concerns over potential tree damage and isolated power outages.
Airlines and passengers faced major delays at Harry Reid International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration reported average flight delays of 50 minutes. FlightAware data indicated that 48 flights were canceled and over 600 were delayed, affecting more than a third of all incoming and outgoing flights.
Event Cancellations and Extended Forecast
Outdoor weekend events also felt the impact of the severe weather. Organizers of the annual Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival canceled all activities scheduled for Sunday at Sunset Park. Clark County Parks and Recreation Director Patrick Almeido stated that operating under dangerous wind and rain conditions presented risks that officials could not take.
Meteorologists expect cool and unsettled weather to linger into the week as a cold front from the Pacific Northwest interacts with the remaining moisture from Rachel. Forecasters predicted a 50 percent chance of rain for Monday and a 30 percent chance for Tuesday. High temperatures will dip into the upper 60s, which is more than 10 degrees below normal for October.
