LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the Las Vegas valley on Thursday.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service warned of winds over 70 mph and the possibility of flash flooding in parts of the valley.
Similar warnings were issued for Lake Mead and Boulder City.
As storms hit the Las Vegas valley, roadways were flooded with water and an estimated 5,000 people were without power as of 10:03 p.m.
Flooding was so significant in some areas that roads had to be shut down. 13th Street was closed north of Stewart Avenue after the storm knocked a tree into the roadway, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.
The storm's impact on traffic continued Friday morning on Interstate 15 at Washington Avenue. All westbound lanes of the interstate were flooded, a traffic camera in the area showed. Drivers were advised to use extreme caution.
Justin Bruce did a wonderful job explaining why there is flooding on I-15 at Washington.
— Zora Asberry (@ZoraAsberry) July 29, 2022
Debris and trash gets swept around during storms like the one we had yesterday. That is enough to clog our storm drains and cause water to pool in some areas. #TurnAroundDontDrown pic.twitter.com/UQGlD3DTHT
Damage from the storm also impacted the Department of Motor Vehicles' North Las Vegas branch. Officials advised the opening of the office on North Decatur Boulevard and Elkhorn Road would be delayed "due to water damage from last night's storm."
An official at the DMV explained that the roof leaked into 2 supervisor offices and onto their computers.
The North Decatur DMV will have a delayed opening today (Friday 7/29) due to water damage from last night's storm. Check our website for updates at https://t.co/JQmhxKSfbe. pic.twitter.com/SjeAxDvRm4
— Nevada DMV (@NevadaDMV) July 29, 2022
Updates would be posted on the DMV's website, they said.
The streets of the downtown Las Vegas Arts District were flooded, and the damage didn't stop there. Video shared on social media showed water pouring into Circa's sports book from behind a wall-mounted TV. CEO Derek Stevens called it "a night we'll never forget," but said the damage wouldn't stop operations.
All #PhotoCredit to #LineItUp
— Derek Stevens (@DerekJStevens) July 29, 2022
A night we’ll never forget. It’s #Vegas
FYI we are open now and will be open tomorrow.
I love #LasVegas https://t.co/AyViyk0B56
Stevens issued the following statement through a Circa spokesperson:
“Last night’s weather took Vegas by storm and we were no exception. But, the show must go on and I’m happy to share that repairs are underway and we’re open for business. Games are playing all day at Circa Sports and we’re accepting sports bets on the second level. Lower-level sportsbook seating is temporarily closed but we expect it to be fully open this weekend.”
