Thunderstorm Wind, Clark
- When
- July 19, 10:52 PM PST
- Where
- Clark County, Mead Lake
- Property damage
- $1.3 million
- Reported by
- PARK/FOREST SERVICE
- Coordinates
- 36.520, -114.420
Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Nevada, July 19 to 20, 1998
25 inches of rain overnight. Several marinas on Lake Mead suffered extensive wind damage and numerous roads were washed out.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $13 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms moved into the Las Vegas Valley and nearby Lake Mead bringing wind gusts in excess of 60 mph and heavy showers which dumped between 1.50 and 2.25 inches of rain overnight. Several marinas on Lake Mead suffered extensive wind damage and numerous roads were washed out. In the Las Vegas Valley, heavy rain and flooding produced the majority of damage. Major flooding began in the early morning of July 20 and kept washes filled for several hours with numerous swift water rescues performed during the period. One man apparently died of a heart attack while rescue personnel were trying to remove him from his car. Rapidly accumulating water and a clogged drainage system caused the roof of the Palace Station Hotel and Casino to collapse...causing millions of dollars in damage. A few hours later, the same hotel and casino caught fire when it was struck by lightning.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Clark
- When
- July 19, 11:15 PM PST
- Where
- Clark County, Las Vegas
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 36.170, -115.150
Flash Flood, Clark
- When
- July 20, 12:30 AM PST to 6:30 AM PST
- Where
- Clark County, Las Vegas
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
- Coordinates
- 36.215, -115.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Clark
- When
- July 20, 1:00 AM PST
- Where
- Clark County, Las Vegas
- Property damage
- $11 million
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 36.215, -115.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning, Clark
- When
- July 20, 5:30 AM PST
- Where
- Clark County, Las Vegas
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 36.215, -115.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, Clark | 1998-07-20 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heat in Oklahoma, July 19, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Indiana, July 19 to 20, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Texas, July 19, 1998
- Heat and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 19, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, July 19 to 20, 1998
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 19, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 19, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Ohio, July 19, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, July 19, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, July 19, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, July 19, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, July 19, 1998
More
Every storm in Nevada in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, July 1998
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5661850, 5661851, 5661852, 5661853, 5661854.