Page 42 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

Dangerous Waters of it plunging down street-wide drainage Storm water will travel from the
grates. Pedestrians were pulled from the west or central valley to Lake Mead.
street waters by security guards. As the Anything in between is at risk. The al-
n July 8, 1999, a torrential storm water raced toward Lake Mead, it swept luvial fans surrounding the Las Vegas
produced unprecedented flash away cars, rocks—anything in its way. Valley are coated and bound by calcium
Oflooding across a large area of Two more people died that day. For the carbonate, forming almost impervious
the Las Vegas Valley. Up to 3 inches of Flamingo Wash, it was the year of the Caliche. The result is a swift downhill
rain fell in 90 minutes or less causing 100-Year Flood. run-off made even more dangerous by
record flows in normally dry washes A 100-year flood, so called be- the paved road surfaces, parking lots
and detention basins. The storm caused cause it has a 1% (or 1-in-100) chance and roofs where flood waters move
property damage estimated at $20 mil- of occurring in any given year, has even even faster.
lion. Two lives were lost. Over 200 been known to occur in successive years, Surviving flash floods means be-
swift-water res- though rarely. ing alert to news of approaching storms,
cues were made by On August staying inside, learning what to do and
the Clark County 19, 2003, TV NOT do, and getting the facts. Nearly
and Las Vegas fire viewers across half of all flash flood fatalities are ve-
departments. The the country wit- hicle related. The beautiful Las Vegas
flood event was nessed a daring weather is benign most of the time,
considered by the aerial rescue of a but don’t be fooled by sunshine. Keep
U.S. Geological Las Vegas woman an eye on the Spring Mountains as the
Survey to meet stranded on top of monsoon season approaches and . . .
criteria between a 50 her SUV in swift, be prepared. G
and 100-year flood in rising floodwaters.
some parts of the Las Moments later, April-May Board Notes
Vegas Wash. the car was gone.
Tw o d a y s About the same The board unanimously
later, a cloudburst time, 4 firemen T
approved a motion to provide a grant of
hit the mountains behind Red Rock were pulled by helicopter from the roof $250 to the Nevada Wildlife Federation
Canyon, ultimately dumping 4 inches of their fire truck. In all, the Las Vegas to sponsor a volunteer award.
of rain on Las Vegas in 3 hours. Within Metropolitan Police Department made T Treasurer Helen Barrett reported
minutes, huge swells rumbled into the 9 swift water air rescues that day, with total current assets of $265,212.97.
Red Rock Wash carrying car-sized boul- nearly 60 total rescues in 3 hours. Las HSBC has donated $250 to Friends in
ders, trees, brush and rocks. The water Vegas Weather Service radar estimated recognition of employee and Friends
turned the Scenic Drive into islands of over 3 inches of rain had fallen in one member Julie Kissosondi for her
pavement, where stranded cars waited hour. At some Clark County Regional volunteer contributions. The award will
out the deluge. Flood Control District gages, rainfall be applied to the Environmental
Education Committee budget.
That storm discharge surged down depth and intensity exceeded those of a
T As a future fundraising initiative,
the normally dry Flamingo Wash just 100-year flood, overwhelming drainage Director Blaine Benedict has applied to
before noon, making its way toward a facilities geared to handle a 100-year the REI outfitter’s store in Henderson
flood tunnel designed to route the water event, or “base flood.” to consider Friends as a candidate for a
safely under the Strip. But the load was Flash floods are serious business. “Stewards of the Environment” Grant
too great. Erupting from beneath the They can occur in the desert during any of $20,000. Friends will have an
Imperial Palace Hotel without warning month of the year, but the most damag- information booth at the store’s first
and onto the hotel drive, a wall of water ing storms are likely to appear during anniversary sale. Another suggestion
involved contacting Mountain Gear, a
5-ft deep and 40-ft wide rumbled into the monsoon season . . . late June to Web-based climbing and hiking outfitter
the channel and then back underground, mid-September. Warm, moisture-laden at www.mgear.com to explore
taking a man with it. The overflow unstable air from the Gulf of California opportunities with the company. The
rushed into the street behind the hotel at blows inland, forming storm clouds that company sponsored the second annual
between 20 and 25 miles per hour, some produce intense rainfall. Red Rock Rendezvous, which took
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