Flash flooding hits Las Vegas for second time in two weeks as rain pours into casinos

Flash flooding hit Sin City for the second time in two weeks on Thursday as casinos and hotels on the strip were inundated with torrential rain.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flash flood warnings for parts of Mohave, Lincoln, east San Bernadino and Clark counties from Thursday until Friday evening.

The slow-moving thunderstorms led to heavy downpours, 40mph winds, lightning, and flash flooding.

Videos on social media showed water cascading from the ceiling over tables on the casino floor. One video, shot by Sean Sable inside Planet Hollywood, noted: “You’re not going to believe this, but I’m not sure if it’s raining more inside.”

Footage also showed washed-out roads and underground parking garages filling up with water.

At the Harry Reid International Airport, just south of the Vegas strip, more than half an inch of rainfall was recorded during the storm. It brought the monsoon season total to 1.28 inches, according to the NWS, meaning that 2022 is the wettest monsoon season in a decade with six weeks left to go.

Amid warnings, the rainfall is much-needed in the western US which is in the grips of extreme drought. Lake Mead, which supplies drinking water to Las Vegas and communities across the region, is at a historic low. Intense heat and dried out vegetation have also led to outbreaks of wildfires.

Two weeks ago, on 29th July, intense storms deluged Las Vegas. That storm brought approximately an inch of rain, 55mph winds, and caused power outages in the city. At least four vehicle crashes were attributed to the flooding, according to the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.