Tropical storm and monsoon cause flooding in southwest
September 12, 2014
MOAPA, Nev. (AP) — The Southwest was mopping up Tuesday after pouring rains and flash flooding washed out part of a major rail line between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.
The cleanup began after seasonal monsoon moisture combined with the remnants of Tropical Storm Norbert created heavy rain throughout the Southwest and set a single-day rainfall record in Phoenix.
At least 30 homes in Overton, Nevada were flooded, and Clark County firefighters counted 18 rescues in the area, many involving submerged cars.
“I’ve been in this area since 1978. We’ve never had water like that before,” said David Muns, a resident of Moapa, Nevada, where more than four inches of rain fell in two hours.
Transportation officials said a stretch of I-15 near Moapa could be closed for three to four days while they repair pavement that crumbled into slabs. One shattered section stretched for half a mile.
Freeways in Phoenix became small lakes on Monday, and rescuers scrambled to get drivers out of inundated cars after more than three inches of rain fell.
42 people were evacuated from a middle school and high school in Moapa and spent Monday night in a building at Clark County fairgrounds. Churches provided blankets, and a store and restaurant donated food before police escorted the people over the damaged I-15, according to Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling.
About 190 people were evacuated from the Moapa Band of Paiutes reservation after tribal officials warned that waters were close to breaching a Muddy River dam. Officials were assessing damage to properties with leaky roofs and wet floors where water breached flood control channels.
National Weather Service meteorologist Charlotte Dewey warned that any additional precipitation in the Southwest could quickly cause new flooding because the ground is saturated.