How To Prepare For Flash Floods: Hurricane Hilary

Hurricane Hilary and its vicious rainfall will bring intense flooding and uncertainty to Nevada, California and Arizona.

According to CNN, Hurricane Hilary could dump about a "year's worth of rain" in parts of Nevada, California and Arizona, which has also created the first time officials issued a Level 4 threat in that particular part of Southern California.

CNN also reports that authorities issued hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings in Mexico's Baja California and northwest Mexico.

Around 2 p.m. PST, the National Hurricane Center said "Hilary Remains a powerful category 4 hurricane . . . Life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding is likely over much of Baja California and southern California this weekend and early next week."

Already with some pre-cursor rainfall, the National Weather Service had already issued flash flood warnings throughout Mohave County, Mesquite and Bunkerville.

Further, the National Weather Service in Elko also said there was a 40% chance of excessive rainfall, which could lead to extensive flooding.

The City of Henderson announced they would be giving free sandbags to help battle floods from Hurricane Hilary.

According to the city's X (formerly known as Twitter) account, the city announced that sand is NOT included but can be found at stores for home improvement or gardening.

You can pick up the sandbags on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon at Heritage Park Senior Facility and Whitney Ranch Recreation Center.

Preparing for potential floods could be life-saving. There are a few ways to stay safe albeit it's hard to determine when a flash flood will exactly happen. However, not acting quickly during floods can lead to injury or death.

Cars can be easily swept away from rushing floodwaters. It's important to never drive through any amount of floodwater. Clark County's website states, " If you cant see the lines on the street, its too dangerous to risk trying to cross the intersection or area. Take the extra five minutes and find another route."

If you find yourself in a flash flood, immediately move to higher ground. Do not attempt to walk, swim or drive through any flood. There is often debrief with deadly cargo floating along the floodwaters.

It's also important to have a rough plan for your household. Have enough food that doesn't need refrigeration. Floods can also cause power outages, which NV Energy said on Twitter that its team is preparing for and monitoring the storm.

Overall, play in the pool. Do NOT play in floods. Don't under estimate water and its power.

This year, Las Vegas has seen its most intense monsoon season in over a decade.

According to the National Weather Service, we haven't received over an inch of rainfall since 2015. This year, Las Vegas received 1.28 inches of rainfall. And this abnormal weather has come with some dire consequences.

Recently, two people were found dead in a flood channel after intense rainfall in the region, according to 8 News Now.

Along with this horrible situation, social media lit up with tons of videos that showed water pouring from the ceilings of casinos or gushing through the streets of The Strip.

But the extreme flooding isn't the only weather anomalies that have been plaguing the region. According to National Public Radio, cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Houston have set heat records almost every summer.

Tornados have even been happening in the region. The NWS reports that since 1950, there has been 42 reported tornados in Clark, Lincoln and Mohave Counties.

With all of these floods and weather occurrences happening, it's important to know if your living area is prone to flooding. Click HERE to see if your home or property is located within a flood zone.

There's also a few steps you can take to protect your property if a flash flood warning is sent out.

You also need to be weary of your vehicle's safety when it comes to flash floods. A few seconds can lead to a whole road becoming inundated, which is bad news for your car. Here are some tips to help you navigate flood waters, so you can stay safe and keep your car protected!

Since Vegas is experiencing some funky weather amid this monsoon season, here's a list of the "weirdest" weather events that've happened in Las Vegas!

https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/2022/07/09/dust-devil-hits-pool-goers-luxor-resort-casino/

According to the Las Vegas Sun, a complex thunderstorm developed over northeast Clark County. This caused a massive flood that killed over 700 cattle at a dairy farm.

The snowiest winter in Nevada was in 1948-1949, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Due to an influx of snow, a large airlift operation was initiated to get stranded livestock from northern and eastern Nevada. However, it was too late for 25% of the animals.