Body Found in Debris After 'Unprecedented' Rains Flood Las Vegas Area | The Weather Channel
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A body was discovered in Las Vegas after severe storms slammed the area Thursday, prompting water rescues, flooding roadways and leaving thousands without power.

By

Ada Carr

July 1, 2016



A woman's body was discovered trapped under debris in Las Vegas Friday after severe storms slammed the area with "unprecedented" heavy rain that led to flash flooding Thursday. 

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The Associated Press reports the unidentified woman was found around 7 a.m. in a wash near Giles Street and Mandalay Bay Road, just a block east of the popular Las Vegas Boulevard. 

It is not yet known if the death was caused by or related to the flooding. Police do not suspect foul play. 

A woman was hospitalized after she was plucked from a flooded wash, authorities said. The woman was believed to have suffered a heart attack while she and two other people were rescued Thursday from rushing water near the Hard Rock Casino Hotel east of the Las Vegas Strip, Deputy Clark County Fire Chief Jeff Buchanan said.

According to KLAS, the woman was swept down the wash, but rescued by golfers at the  National Golf Course.

Additional water rescues were reported east of the Las Vegas Strip later in the evening, including two people and their dogs, the Associated Press reported. 

"Strong to severe thunderstorms developed northwest of Las Vegas and slowly dropped toward the southeast into extreme southern Nevada," weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles said. "Storms brought 1-2" hail and high rainfall rates to Las Vegas, and hilly and urban terrain promoted flash flooding. An early monsoon and near record high atmospheric moisture helped these storms saturate the area."

Erin Neff, spokeswoman for the Clark County Regional Flood Control District, characterized the rain in some parts of the area as "unprecedented."

(MORE: Health Advisories Issued for Beaches in 5 States)



KLAS reported that three southbound lanes of US Highway 95 were closed due to flooding. The intersection of State Routes 159 and 160 was also closed at one point due to water and debris near the Blue Diamond Community Thursday afternoon, KSNV-TV reported.



Weather service meteorologist John Adair said Henderson received up to 1½ inch of rain between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Red Rock Canyon, about 25 miles west of the Strip, received more than 1¼ inches, and Adair said flooding closed the scenic 13-mile loop road through the preserve.

Around 4,500 Nevada Energy customers were left without power as the storms rolled through, according to KVVU-TV.  The outages were focused in the southeast Las Vegas Valley.

Fire crews responded to a two-alarm fire in the southwest Las Vegas Valley after lightning struck a home, LasVegasNow.com said. 

The Regional Transportation Commission advised motorists to avoid the inundated intersection of Eastern Avenue and Warm Spring Road, says the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Henderson, Nevada, experienced several flooded roadways and stalled vehicles, as well.



Hail also caused quite a scene, with stones up to 2 inches in size blanketing the area in white.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Las Vegas Hail, Flooding - June 2016