Massive rain storm sweeps thru Las Vegas valley. Mayor declares local

[TankLV]

State of Emergency in effect.

"100 year storm" rivaling 1999 storm, hit around 4pm. Northwest (Summerlin) areas hit first, Southeast (Henderson/Green Valley) starting to be hit now.

So far I made it home from the mid-north area to Hendeerson - not too many problems. Very dark skys before sun set.

Showing a firetruck stuck in flood waters in northwest area. Many stranded trucks and cars. Debris blocking a few overpassing bridges, but all in all, newly installed flood control improvements working like planned - not reaching capacity yet - but 14-15 feet of 20 foot capacity at some flood basins.

Not good for rush hour.

On another note - Lake Mead water levels at record lows - about 80 feet below normal.

We need the water - just not all in 5-15 minutes! Over 3" fell in 3 minutes.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. 3" fell in 3 minutes???

I hope not. You'd be killed.

[TankLV]

2. That's what they said on the local news.

I never really did understand how measurements are taken.

I've lived thru Buffalo blizzards, Hawaiian hurricanes, and now this.

So far I haven't heard of any casualties. Lots of people stading on roofs of cars, etc.

Storm in 1999 was valley-wide - but this is localized to the Northwest (and lesser Southeast) quadrants of the valley. So they're saying it's worse.

I'm just waiting for all the flow to reach it's way to my quadrant - the drainage flows generally from the northwest to the southeast - so even tho it's now stopped raining almost, a lot is still to come.

[Junkdrawer]

11. Weather Channel just said 2 1/2" in 20 minutes. n/t

[TankLV]

19. Local news update: 2.92 inches dropped during the deluge in one area.

We have installed about 50 neighboorhood weather stations around town for all us "120 - but it's a DRY heat junkies".

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. 12" once fell in 42 minutes

That would be one inch every 3.5 minutes.

22 June 1947, Holt, Missouri: Heavy rains deluge Holt as a foot (300 mm) of rain falls in 42 minutes, still a world's record rainfall rate for fastest foot of rain accumulation.

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/diaryjun.htm

but 3 in 3 minutes? i think they are mkistaken.

[Saintgermane]

15. Buffalo! Hawaii!

Woo hoo!

Fredonia native here, also lived in Hawaii.

Am in Califonria now....

[TankLV]

16. Grew up in Kenmore (no, not the appliances!).

Was a great place to grow-up in.

Enjoy experiencing new places, as the fates may take me.

[Saintgermane]

18. Me too...

19 years military, retire next year.

Had some cousins in Kenmore...know any Saelis, or Vaticanos? S & S Concrete?

[TankLV]

20. Don't remember if I do.

Vollmers, Luszcz's, Friedmans, Gerths, Beckwiths, to remember a few.

[Saintgermane]

21. long shot anyway.

anywhooooo,

nice to see a homeboy here.

Off to spend quality time with the misses, take care,

Saint

[DUreader]

3. 100 year storm every 4 years now?

global warming is a lie/ sarcasm alert

[alcuno]

4. Those southwestern monsoons are a mixed blessing.

I used to live in Phoenix and remember when we lost the bridges over the normally dry Salt River. Good Luck.

[maggrwaggr]

5. Some people on DU will blame Bush for this

*

[Junkdrawer]

8. Kyoto.......'nuff said.

:evilgrin:

[TankLV]

9. Well, we have a DEMOCRATIC mayor, and he was on the air withing a half

hour at a full-blown news conference - unscripted - with all his staff and department heads there to answer ANY and ALL questions.

Unlike that miserable excuse who is still on vacation.

EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE loves mayor Oscar Goodman. You can bump into him almost anywhere.

NO repuke would ever do this. NONE.

Can't actually "blame bunker boy bush*", but then again, almost anyone could outshine that asshole at any given time of day.

[liberalmuse]

23. I moved from Vegas a couple years ago...

But really, really liked Goodman, despite his shady past as a lawyer for the mob. He's a damn good mayor. He's not your usual politician because he says what he thinks and he fights for his city.

I blame 'Bush' for everything, because I'm sincerely trying to change the meaning of the word: Bush-A disaster or curse of epical proportions, An evil, uncontrollable force foisted upon a population against their will, Bad juju.

[TankLV]

6. Said there was large hail and massive wind.

The doors to our building kept blowing open where I work. Didn't see the hail.

[revcarol]

7. Stupid question...

Is your National Guard in Iraq?

Sounds as if the situation is bad, but what happens if it goes to "terrible?" Do you have the state and community resources to deal with this?

[proud patriot]

10. Not a stupid question revcarol

I wonder how our lives are affected by their absence .

[revcarol]

13. Hurricane season is about to start

and many troops that deal with evacuations and preventing looting in a hurricane are missing...in Iraq. That's why I asked.

Here we had a fire in the Rio Grande bosque that threatened parts of the city of Albuquerque, and we had to hunt all over the place for resources.

[TankLV]

17. Our monsoon season has already started for a few weeks now.

with the arrival of that earlier hurricane that swept up into the Gulf and Texas & Mexico.

At least my $300/month electric bill will get a breather now!

[TankLV]

14. Seems like our excellent staff of professional civil servants

have been doing a fantastic job over the past decade or more planning and implementing AND PAYING FOR WITHOUT A SINGLE PENNY OF FEDERAL FUNDS for our emergency needs.

So we seem to be managing fine without our missing persons. I do believe a good chunk of our military is gone - but we have insured that we, ourselves, can take care of our "home", with NO help from bunkerboy!

Our civic infractructure is top notch and state of the art.

So much for all the "less government the better" crybabies. We have the best government money can buy - even with a few mob county commissioners (who "just happen to all be repukes") thrown in to keep it interesting.

DEMOCRACY - with an empasis on the "DEMOCRAT" at it's finest!

Oh - and guess which prominent state politician has been unheard from since this all started - would you believe our repuke Governor, "Kenny boy" Guinn?

[stopbush]

22. I've got a tree tipped over

in my front yeard, leaning against the lamp post (I'm in "The Hills" section of Summerlin). And, the pool came up about 2.5 inches - and, damn, the pool guy was here this AM to clean it...now, it's full of dust and dirt.

Still, after the Nor'easters I suffered through in NJ for YEARS (we all had a pool in our basements after those storms) this was nothin'.