The Las Vegas Strip was filled with floodwater after heavy thunderstorms on Thursday.
The Mohave Desert gambler’s paradise looked more like a tropical Caribbean island in video of the extreme weather.
Downpour in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/aUnpG6ahGp
— MechaRandom42, Youtuber, Twitch Streamer? (@RandomMnky) July 29, 2022
Water poured through the roof of the Planet Hollywood casino, and blackjack tables were doused with rainwater.
Video sent to @8NewsNow shows flooding inside Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip after severe thunderstorms moved through.
?: Ernie Gastelum pic.twitter.com/fF9kMa6p9B
— David Charns (@davidcharns) July 29, 2022
Water penetrated another Las Vegas Strip casino, Caesar’s Palace, to the astonishment of casino guests.
Not sure if it’s raining more inside or outside of @CaesarsPalace @VitalVegas @LasVegasLocally pic.twitter.com/4cArRye5mM
— Sean Sable (@SeanSable) July 29, 2022
Floodwater trapped vehicles underneath an underpass.
When it rains in #LasVegas! I’m sure glad I got off the highway just before this! It was scary when driving home from dinner, though!! pic.twitter.com/dP58ge85AF
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) July 29, 2022
Lightning strikes disabled power to at least one building in the vicinity of the strip, according to an area resident interviewed by the New York Post.
Nothing like a good lightning show in Las Vegas tonight.#lasvegas #vegasweather pic.twitter.com/iYP149iC9s
— Nathalie Quintana (@NathalieQuin) July 29, 2022
The storm required a series of interventions from Las Vegas Fire and Rescue.
From 9 p.m. to midnight last night, our crews responded to 330 calls for service, many related to the storm.
Notable incidents:
7 citizens rescued from swift water
1 house fire
22 vehicle crashes
15 outside fires? Lisa Johnson and @fox5vegas
pic.twitter.com/bwK5z8nN45— Las Vegas FireRescue (@LasVegasFD) July 29, 2022
Vegas isn’t exactly known for having a rainy climate.
Sin City receives an average of 4.17 inches of rain a year, according to World Climate.
While the downpour might’ve been inconvenient for gamblers, the rain could be a positive sign for the environment.
Have you ever been to Las Vegas?
The American Southwest is in the midst of a historic mega-drought that’s jeopardized water security in areas such as the Mohave Desert.
Lake Mead, a man-made water basin that collects water from the Colorado River, has declined precipitously in size as a result of a shortage of rain.
The lake is east of Las Vegas, straddling the Arizona-Nevada border.
