Storm wreaks havoc
A violent thunderstorm hit the Las Vegas Valley to announce the start of monsoon season, leaving over 35,000 people without power at one stage according to NV Energy.
gusts reaching up to 70 miles per hour
Spokeswoman for the public utility Meghin Delaney stated that the power disruption was “caused primarily by severe winds, with gusts reaching up to 70 miles per hour in some areas.”
Social media influencer Las Vegas Locally took to X to share footage of the damage and a warning about the local weather:
The intense thunderstorm came with severe wind gusts that skittled powerlines, fell trees, disrupted flights, and sparked a major blaze that killed multiple farm animals.
The National Weather Service Las Vegas also issued a warning about the dust storm, advising drivers to stay alert to “changing conditions with blowing dust & sudden crosswinds” with visibility down to less than a quarter mile at times.
After the worst had passed, NV Energy stated the storm caused “significant” damage to the Las Vegas Valley and “will take time to repair.”
Back with a bang
According to reports, The Clark County Office of Emergency Management is collaborating with NV Energy to “gather resources for people impacted.”
Although a biblical-scale thunderstorm already hit Southern Nevada in the first days of June, it fell outside the region’s typical June 15 through September 30 monsoon season. As such, reported Fox Weather, Tuesday’s storm was the “first major surge of monsoonal moisture across southern Nevada.”
The dramatic return of the weather system was compounded by what meteorologists confirmed were “Virga bombs,” which are essentially sudden downdrafts caused by evaporating rain that generate sudden and violent gusts of wind that can exceed 100 mph.
While the Las Vegas Strip reportedly escaped the worst of the damage, the storm came relatively close to the site of the Oakland’s A’s new stadium build on Tropicana Avenue.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took to X yesterday with news of road closures near Tropicana and Pecos Road:
According to reports, some people were stuck in their vehicles on Tropicana for more than an hour.
Trapped for hours
Power lines fell on a Jeep Cherokee driven by Kendra Day, a Strip worker on her way home to Henderson, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
God was on my side today.”
Told by emergency workers to remain in her Jeep in case the wires were still live, Day stated: “I was inside my car for close to two hours, but I’m still alive. God was on my side today.”
The same scenario happened to Las Vegas resident Claudia London. Just steps away from Day’s Jeep, power lines crushed the roof of London’s Prius, confining her inside. “I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life,” the relieved London later told the Review-Journal.
