Tropical Storm Rachel made its way through Southern California and into the Las Vegas Valley this weekend, bringing significant rain and even some flooding to areas in around the Strip.
According to the National Weather Service’s Las Vegas office, the city recorded 1.08 inches of rainfall from midnight through the morning on Sunday, which tied the record for the highest daily total in the month of October that was set on 12 October 1947.
In some ways, the deluge helped make up for what has been a very dry year thus far, as Sunday’s total nearly matched the output for the entire year. Las Vegas had recorded just 1.1 inches of rain for the entire year before this weekend, which was more than 2 inches less than average, the NWS said.
Some areas near the Strip, such as sections of East Flamingo Road, Koval Lane and Winnick Avenue, were closed at various due to flash floods. Pictures and videos of the rising water levels circulated on social media, especially near the LINQ Promenade, as the first floor of the LINQ garage was designed to allow excess water to pass through it, per the Clark County Regional Flood Control District.
Some weekend events around town were cancelled due to the weather, including the final day of the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival and a breast cancer awareness walk along the Strip that had been planned by the Susan G Komen organisation.
Impacts on air travel, F1
The road closures were cleared as of Monday, but the hassle of the disruptions could impact visitation and travel figures.
In August, visitation declined 4% year-over-year, which represented the largest YoY decrease registered this year by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Traffic to Harry Reid International Airport fell 9% in August, and the airport issued a weather advisory for all flights on Sunday and Monday. Air traffic is currently tracking 7% behind last year’s pace, which also ended in a 7% decrease from 2024.
Construction around the Strip for the city’s annual Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix race is well under way about five weeks before this year’s event begins 19 November. The infrastructure for the race circuit includes some of the roadways affected by the flooding, but Formula One did not announce any setbacks or work issues.
It has been a severe weather stretch for Nevada, as a series of wildfires put tens of thousands of Reno-area residents under evacuation notices in late August. To help alleviate the impacts of the fires, local casinos offered discounted room rates for evacuees and several companies donated to relief efforts.
Jess Marquez
Jess has covered the global gaming industry since 2022. A native of Reno, Nevada, he’d like to note that it’s Ne-va-da, not Ne-VAH-da.