LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Governor Lombardo and Clark County officials declared a state of emergency Sunday morning in anticipation of "significant rainfall and flooding."
The declaration enables the county to mobilize additional state and federal resources in its response to potential impacts of the impending storm.
In its emergency declaration, Clark County advised it expects rainfall and flooding to make an impact "especially in the rural areas of Clark County."
— Justin Hinton (@justinhintontv) August 20, 2023
LIVE UPDATES: Tracking the impact of Hurricane Hilary storm system in Las Vegas
President Joe Biden announced that his administration deployed federal personnel to Nevada to "ensure the state has additional support" Sunday.
President Joe Biden said his administration deployed federal personnel to Nevada for additional support.
— KTNV 13 Las Vegas (@KTNV) August 21, 2023
Updates here: https://t.co/W3XZgiEHpF pic.twitter.com/WlU8hy3fWq
The same day, Governor Joe Lombardo also declared an emergency due to the "imminent threat" from Hurricane Hilary.
“Today, I am declaring a state of emergency due to the imminent impact of Hurricane Hilary across the state. My administration will continue to work diligently with state, federal, tribal, and local partners in preparation and response to this severe weather event," Lombardo said in a media release. "Hurricane Hilary represents a serious threat to our communities, and once again, I implore all Nevadans to prepare for flooding, remain vigilant, and to follow all guidance from state and local emergency officials.”
Officials in neighboring Nye County also issued an emergency declaration on Sunday morning.
According to Nye County officials, "confidence remains HIGH for MAJOR to HISTORIC flood impacts to occur for much of the region, especially for Inyo, San Bernardino, and Nye counties."
⚠️Flood Advisory⚠️until 3 pm PDT for parts of southern Nye and southern Inyo County. Hourly rain rates up to 0.25". Do not attempt to cross flooded roadways! Turn around, don't drown. #nvwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/a47vxiuFmt
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) August 20, 2023
They expect the most major flooding to occur in the Morongo Basin and Death Valley, with major flooding also forecast for Pahrump and the Amargosa Valley.
The Las Vegas Valley saw heavy rainfall on Friday evening and scattered showers on Saturday. The most significant impacts of the Hurricane Hilary storm system were expected to begin Sunday afternoon and last through Monday.
Hurricane Hilary had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it made landfall in Mexico's Baja Peninsula on Sunday and moved north toward Southern California. It will be the first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years.
Friday night. Gov. Joe Lombardo mobilized the Nevada National Guard as an additional resource to respond to impacts of the storm system.
Some parts of the Mojave Desert are expected to receive a year's worth of rainfall as a result of the Hilary storm system.
"We could see a year's worth of precipitation in 48 hours in some areas," National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Berc told Channel 13.
Lots of weather to watch today but the big concern remains dangerous flooding, especially across the western Mojave Desert. The area highlighted in magenta is in a HIGH RISK for flash flooding - an exceedingly rare occurrence. #cawx #nvwx pic.twitter.com/KmI1kwuyuf
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) August 20, 2023
As of Sunday morning, the Las Vegas Valley was expected to receive approximately 1 inch of rainfall, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for the area from Sunday afternoon through early Monday morning, with winds expected to peak overnight. Southeast wind gusts could hit 50 mph Sunday night in Las Vegas, with gusts of 60 to 70 mph forecast for the Spring Mountains.
With flooding in the forecast, experts are warning drivers to be safe.
"Keep in mind that 6 inches of water is enough to sweep a person off their feet," said Steve Parrish, general manager and chief engineer with the Clark County Regional Flood Control District. "A foot of water is enough to cause most cars to float, and you can lose control of that vehicle, so don't walk through flooded areas and don't drive through flooded areas."
NV Energy is also reminding customers to be prepared for possible power outages over the next few days.
Officials there say crews will be on standby to help in the case that power issues arise.
The Clark County School District, as of Sunday morning, planned for classes to continue Monday as scheduled. If the storm impacts schools, officials said they would communicate with parents through ccsd.net, the district's social media accounts, and ParentLink.
Track live radar as the storm moves through Nevada at ktnv.com/weather/radar. Watch the latest forecast from Channel 13 meteorologists here.
