Flood engulfs California’s I-15, temporarily closing artery from Vegas

Monsoonal rains have battered Nevada since Friday. With the region already soggy after Tropical Storm Hilary, the desert floor quickly turned to a sheet of water. According to the National Weather Service’s Las Vegas office, a gauge near the town of Primm, right on the California border, collected 3 inches of rain in just two hours Saturday. By the early evening, the southbound lanes of I-15 turned into a lake, closing all lanes headed into California, while northbound lanes crawled by toward Las Vegas.

At least one video posted to social media showed drivers parked on northbound I-15, with some getting out to take photos and video of the incredible sight on the highway. The closure lasted about seven hours.

In Las Vegas, a river of rain inundated the city, causing dangerous flash flooding and turning city streets impassable. Video captured by locals shows buses and cars attempting to drive through the deluge Saturday; officials, as always, are warning motorists to never drive through waters they cannot see the bottom of. On the city’s iconic Strip, there was so much water that a flood-mitigation measure outside the LINQ Hotel went viral. 

There is still a chance of rain in the forecast Sunday. Near the Primm area, there’s a chance of thunderstorms throughout the morning, with sunny conditions expected after that; after a seven-hour closure Saturday, I-15 remains fully reopened as of Sunday morning. Before heading out on the roads, check with Nevada or California agencies to make sure your route is clear.

More rain is expected further north in the Black Rock Desert. Access to the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert is closed for the remainder of the event. Burning Man officials are working on getting buses to the Playa so people can leave, should they choose. Getting to the buses will require a five-mile walk through the mud, however.