More rain could mean more problems for people across the valley, but authorities and construction crews are teaming up to try to fix problems before they start.
Some areas of the Las Vegas Wash saw 8-9 feet of water during thunderstorms in early April. The area near Charleston and Nellis saw street flooding, because of a construction project currently in the wash downstream of the golf course that is temporarily prohibiting the free flow of water.
According to Erin Neff, the PIO with the Regional Flood Control District, crews are trying to fix that flooding.
"Generally speaking, that water will all stay in that wash," says Neff.
Just a few years ago, the rain and flooding would have damaged homes, but now, the flood control district is working on 7 construction projects designed to prevent those flood waters from getting near people's homes.
- Brooks Channel--installing concrete channel under the I-15 and UPRR tracks in North Las Vegas
- Pittman Wash, Duck Creek at I-515 in Henderson--replacing existing crossing of the wash with reinforced concrete box culverts
- Centennial Parkway Channel West, 215 and Pioneer Way to US-95--pairing flood control with road expansion
- Pittman North Detention Basin in Henderson
- Racetrack Channel, Drake to Burkholder in Henderson--lining the existing channel
- Las Vegas Wash, Sloan Channel to Stewart Avenue and Flamingo Wash below Nellis Boulevard
- Flamingo Diversion, Rainbow Branch--flood control and road improvements
"Much of our system is designed to help that water get to Lake Mead in a safe way," says Neff.
The Regional Flood Control District has spent $100 million expanding the capacity of the washes that flow through the Desert Rose Golf Course. Residents still see water throughout their neighborhoods during thunderstorms, but city officials say it's not nearly as much as a few years ago, before improvement projects.
"We know that the golf course improvements are effective because the amount of rain we've had recently, even just the last month, in the past would have been enough to cause major street flooding and residential flooding in the area," says Neff.
Neff says neighborhoods around construction sites will still see flood water on streets, but shouldn't have to worry about their homes.
