How the rain brought Las Vegas casinos to a standstill
When you think of Las Vegas, generally it’s all about the casinos and the heat. As, perhaps, the most famous gambling destination in the world, the area is also known for its sub-tropical summers and mild winters. Those who know Vegas also know that there’s monsoon season to contend with. Generally taking place between July and September, it can cause havoc for residents and businesses alike. Have you read the story about the rain in Las Vegas? Read on as we tell you.
The thing is though, any major issues are more than a little rare. You’d have to go back to 2014 before you can find evidence of any significant rainfall. That’s perhaps why there’s a lack of preparedness meaning that when the rain comes, and it really comes, no one is quite sure what to do.
July 29th 2022 was one of those times when the heavens opened. Torrential rainfall led to flash flooding and scenes of chaos all around. The impact was clear to see with social media being taken over with images of gushing water, damaged buildings, and a touch of hysteria. Did this rain really cause Las Vegas problems, or was this all a lot of fuss about nothing? Let’s take a look.
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Las Vegas and beyond
Those who still question the reality of climate change may struggle to find any sort of explanation for what happened just two weeks ago. While Vegas certainly took a battering, it wasn’t alone in terms of experiencing freak, dangerous, weather conditions. In fact, chaotic weather systems were rife across the US and issues were being reported far and wide.
Some of the areas that suffered include:
- Kentucky – here they experienced their worst deluge in history as the area was battered by rainfall and torrential flooding
- Missouri – shocking scenes of rain and thunderstorms showed how people were literally fearing for their lives
- St Louis – with buildings submerged, the raging storm smashed a 100-year record for the amount of rainfall that was experienced
While there is no denying that Nevada experienced a downpour like no other, the reality is that it may have gotten off lightly when compared to other states across the country. That’s not to say that it completely escaped and, as we shall see, there was considerable disruption and Vegas came to an almost complete standstill.
A summer of contrasts
What makes these freak weather conditions all the more surprising, and in some ways interesting, is the fact that they are in complete contrast to what the country was experiencing only a week earlier. It was then that some 85 million US residents were sweltering in a heat that ultimately led to the death of two people in New York and Pennsylvania.
Of course, areas of the US are no strangers to intense heat, but what the country was experiencing saw temperatures jumping some 13F above average. As countries, such as the UK, are also experiencing, these extreme temperature increases are beyond being difficult to deal with.
Having taken in the news reports across the country, many were in shock when the rain started to fall. Not that rain is a surprise of course, but the severity was something that just wasn’t anticipated. As we’ll see a little later, it’s left it very difficult to predict what’s going to happen next.
How the rain hit Las Vegas casinos
While no one can welcome such extreme weather, one thing is for certain: Vegas still managed to add a little magic to what was going on. The bright lights that are there to entice us all into casinos and entertainment establishments suddenly found themselves with a new job: illuminating the downpour and making it look almost spectacular.
The damage caused was just as spectacular. The Strip found itself submerged under inches of water. Some of the world’s most famous casinos began to flood and the surrounding streets were transformed into fast-flowing streams.
Online videos showed Caesar’s Palace flooded. There were a host of other videos that showed rain bursting through the roofs and ceilings in casinos before completely soaking the carpets.
The rain in Las Vegas – Hotels suffered too
Hotels were shown online too. Filmed by residents, the footage captures areas simply filling up with water at a speed that can’t be imagined. Cars were shown trying to make their way through flooded streets next to the Strat Hotel, in downtown vegas, and people can be seen in utter shock and disbelief.
With electrical surges setting off fire alarms across vegas, scenes appeared almost apocalyptic. There was a real sense of panic as people helplessly stood by and watched the whole area being engulfed.
And then there was more
As can be appreciated, the clear-up operation from any degree of flooding is going to be huge. The level of damage caused to casinos by such vast amounts of water just can’t be underestimated. However, Vegas did what Vegas does best: it knuckled down and worked to ensure that the show would go on. There was no way that they were going to leave casinos empty and gamblers with nowhere to turn. Mother nature, however, had other ideas.
August 12th saw an almost complete rerun of the scenes that had been witnessed at the end of July. Again, the Trip was battered and there was plenty of online footage showing Planet Hollywood flooding before our eyes. So, the clean-up must begin again and the future needs to be looked at to protect casinos, hotels, and residents going forward.
Final thoughts
What Las Vegas has experienced twice in just a matter of weeks has been devastating to the area and its businesses. While we all know when monsoon season takes place, people were simply caught off guard with just how ferocious this weather was.
There is no doubt that the casinos will dust themselves down, lift themselves up and get back to doing what they do so well. Our advice right now? If you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas between now and the end of September, it may be worth checking the weather reports first. Though in the worst case you could always sign up to one of our online casinos and hit up the live casino section – that way you are guaranteed all of your favorite casino games, 24/7, 365, in rain or shine.
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