Flash-flood risks lingered across the Southwest on Monday after the remnants of tropical storm Rachel dumped rainfall over Nevada and triggered destructive coastal surf in California over the weekend. While the immediate onslaught of Rachel eased, forecasters warned that a separate weather system moving across the West would sustain hazardous conditions through midweek.
Las Vegas Rainfall Ties October Record
Las Vegas received 1.08 inches of rain through Sunday morning, tying an all-time daily rainfall record for the month of October that had stood since 1947, according to the National Weather Service. Social media footage captured muddy torrents surging down streets near the Las Vegas Strip, with illuminated casino facades and Ferris wheels looming in the background.
Andrew Orrison, a weather service meteorologist, noted that while the worst of tropical storm Rachel had passed, the region remained vulnerable to lingering hazards. “We’ve seen the worst of what Rachel brought … but unfortunately we are looking at the disturbed weather still lingering,” Orrison stated.
Expanded Flood Watches Across the Grand Canyon and Utah
The National Weather Service issued flood watches through Monday afternoon for a broad geographic span. The alerts covered large areas of Utah, southeast Idaho, and northern and central Arizona, including the Grand Canyon.
Forecasters emphasized that this incoming wave of moisture was driven by a separate weather system moving across the West rather than Rachel directly. Precipitation from this secondary system is projected to taper off by Wednesday.
Coastal Destabilization in Southern California and Long Beach Evacuations
Before moving inland, Rachel battered the Southern California coastline over the weekend with wind, rain, and unusually large waves. The severe marine conditions forced oceanside residents in Long Beach to evacuate as powerful waves smashed against coastal homes and tore apart a historic boardwalk.
Meanwhile, the East Coast remained clear since Hurricane Isaias has moved well offshore. Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, made landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane near Destin, Florida, bringing tropical-force winds that cut power to approximately 158,000 customers across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that he expected nearly everyone to have it restored by Tuesday night. Drier weather conditions are expected over the coming days from the mid-Atlantic down through the Southeast and into the southern Appalachians, where Orrison noted temperatures would feel “a little summerish” with higher than normal temperatures.
