Flood Risk Lingers in Southwest After Tropical Storm Rachel Remnants
The National Weather Service has issued flood watches and warned of more showers and isolated thunderstorms across the Southwest following severe flooding in Nevada attributed to the remnants of tropical storm Rachel.
Flash-flood risk continued across the Southwest on Monday as showers and isolated thunderstorms were expected in the region following severe flooding in Nevada caused by the remnants of tropical storm Rachel over the weekend.
Las Vegas recorded 1.08 inches of rain by Sunday morning, tying an all-time daily rainfall record for October. The last time the city received that much precipitation on a single October day was in 1947. Social media videos depicted torrents of water flowing through streets near the Las Vegas Strip, with casinos and a Ferris wheel visible in the background.
Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, stated that localized flash flooding remained a risk on Monday. "We’ve seen the worst of what Rachel brought ... but unfortunately we are looking at the disturbed weather still lingering," Orrison said.
Flood watches were issued by the weather service through Monday afternoon for significant portions of Utah, southeast Idaho, and northern and central Arizona, including the Grand Canyon. Orrison noted that this additional rainfall was not directly linked to Rachel but rather to a separate weather system moving across the western United States. The precipitation is forecast to cease by Wednesday.
Over the weekend, wind, rain, and unusually large waves generated by Rachel impacted the Southern California coast, leading to evacuations for residents in Long Beach. The waves reportedly damaged a historic boardwalk and struck coastal homes.
Meanwhile, the East Coast was expected to experience clear weather, as Hurricane Isaias had moved far offshore. Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, had made landfall as a Category 2 storm near Destin, Florida, on Friday before moving northward into Alabama. At least four deaths have been attributed to Isaias. As of Monday morning, approximately 158,000 customers were still without power in Florida's Panhandle and southern Alabama, according to poweroutage.com. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed expectations for nearly complete power restoration by Tuesday night.
Drier weather is anticipated in the coming days across areas stretching from the mid-Atlantic down through the Southeast, including the southern Appalachian Mountains. Orrison added that some of these areas could experience "a little summerish" feel with temperatures higher than normal this week.