Flash-flood risk lingers after tropical storm Rachel swamped Las Vegas

Emergency alerts covered the Southwest on Monday after a tropical storm triggered severe street flooding in Las Vegas. The region faces continued threats of localized flash floods through Wednesday. Forecasters warned that more rain and isolated thunderstorms could hit several western states.

The city received 1.08 inches of rain into Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. That total tied an all-time daily rainfall record for October. The last time that much rain fell there on an October day was in 1947.

Social media videos showed water rushing through a street near the Las Vegas Strip. The footage showed a Ferris wheel and casinos in the background.

National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Orrison said localized flash flooding remained a risk on Monday. He noted that the worst impacts from Rachel had passed.

“We’ve seen the worst of what Rachel brought … but unfortunately we are looking at the disturbed weather still lingering,” Orrison said.

The weather service issued flood watches through Monday afternoon. The alerts covered several areas across the West:

• A large swath of Utah
• Southeast Idaho
• Northern and central Arizona, including the Grand Canyon

Orrison said the new rainfall is not connected to Rachel. A separate weather system is moving across the West. Rain should stop by Wednesday.

Wind, rain, and large waves battered Southern California over the weekend. The conditions forced oceanside residents in Long Beach to evacuate. Waves smashed coastal homes and tore apart a historic boardwalk.

Forecasters expect the East Coast to stay clear. Hurricane Isaias has moved far offshore.

At least four deaths have been linked to Isaias. The system hit near Destin, Florida, on Friday as a Category 2 hurricane. Destin is a Gulf Coast vacation spot filled with high-rises and tourist shops.

The storm pushed into Alabama with tropical-force winds. It then moved farther north. Damage spread across both states.

About 158,000 customers lacked electricity Monday morning in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, according to poweroutage.com. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he expects power restored for nearly everyone by Tuesday night.

Drier conditions will arrive over the next few days. The dry weather covers the mid-Atlantic down through the Southeast, including the southern Appalachians.

Orrison said higher temperatures will arrive this week. It will feel “a little summerish” in those eastern spots, Orrison said.

A flood watch warns the public when weather patterns could lead to dangerous rising water. Meteorologists track moisture and storm lines to give communities time to prepare. Emergency teams monitor local drainage canals during intense rain events.

Rain hazards will lessen as high pressure returns to Las Vegas later this week.