A Pacific storm system brought a period of wind ahead of it, then tapped into deep moisture which fueled severe thunderstorms and flash flooding.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS VEF wrote it up.
A Pacific storm system brought a period of wind ahead of it, then tapped into deep moisture which fueled severe thunderstorms and flash flooding.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 25, 8:24 AM PST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAS VEGAS NV 924 AM PDT THU SEP 25 2014 .SYNOPSIS...AN APPROACHING PACIFIC STORM WILL PRODUCE INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS STORM WILL BRING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO PORTIONS OF THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE WEEKEND WITH PRECIPITATION MOST LIKELY OVER LINCOLN... NORTHEAST CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .UPDATE...WINDS WERE INCREASING THIS MORNING AS EXPECTED WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH IN THE OWENS VALLEY ALREADY. THE RED FLAG WARNING STILL LOOKS GOOD FOR THAT FIRE WEATHER ZONE. LATEST HI-RES MODELS STILL INDICATE THAT DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL REMAIN ON THE MID TO UPPER SLOPES OF THE SIERRA AND NOT MAKE IT DOWN INTO THE OWENS VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. OVERALL THE FORECAST FOR TODAY LOOKS GOOD AND UPDATES ARE NOT ANTICIPATED THIS MORNING. -HARRISON- && .PREV DISCUSSION... 425 AM PDT THU SEP 25 2014 .SHORT TERM...THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...ONE MORE WARM DAY IS ON TAP BEFORE AN APPROACHING PACIFIC STORM BRINGS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE WEATHER FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SYSTEM COULD BE SEEN ON SATELLITE LOOPS EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA UP ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE MAIN INFLUENCE THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE ON OUR FORECAST AREA TODAY IS INCREASING SOUTH WINDS... ESPECIALLY OVER INYO...ESMERALDA AND CENTRAL NYE COUNTIES WHERE GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. LOCAL HIGH RES MODELS INDICATE SOME ENHANCED WINDS ALONG THE MID-UPPER EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES BUT CONDITIONS DO NOT APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR A STRONG DOWNSLOPE WIND EVENT. HOWEVER...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY AND THE RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 8 PM THIS EVENING FOR THOSE RESPECTIVE ZONES LOOKS SUPPORTED. ANOTHER NOTEWORTHY EFFECT OF THE INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW IS INCREASING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ACROSS THE MOJAVE DESERT ALREADY INDICATED BY GROUND AND SATELLITE SENSORS. THIS IS FROM LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE AROUND THE BAJA PENINSULA BEING PULLED NORTHWARD. THIS WILL RESULT IN SOME CUMULUS CLOUDS AROUND TO PROVIDE SOME CONTRAST TO THE SKY AFTER A FEW DAYS OF CLEAR CONDITIONS. TEMPS WILL PEAK AT MOST SITES TODAY AND STILL LOOKING FOR OUR LAST TRIPLE DIGIT READING IN LAS VEGAS. THERE IS QUITE GOOD AGREEMENT NOW AMONG THE OPERATIONAL MODELS AND SREF AT A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION EVENT SHAPING UP ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. MOISTURE CONTINUES TO INCREASE ACROSS SE CA...SRN NV AND NW AZ FRIDAY BEFORE THE LOW CLOSES UP AS IT MOVES OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BETWEEN 00Z AND 12Z SATURDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE BROAD UPWARD FORCING AND STRONG SHEAR TO COMBINE WITH SUBSTANTIAL MOISTURE OVER SOUTHEAST NEVADA AND NORTHWEST ARIZONA. FAIRLY WIDESPREAD SHOWERS SHOULD DEVELOP OVER LINCOLN...NORTHEAST CLARK AND MOHAVE COUNTIES ALONG WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. INDIVIDUAL STORMS WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH AT 30 TO 40 MPH WHICH WILL DIMINISH THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT...THOUGH STORM TRAINING MAY BE POSSIBLE AND WE WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR THAT. THE SWATH OF MOISTURE WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA SATURDAY MORNING AND INCREASING DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHERN NEVADA AS THE LOW CENTER TRACKS FROM CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ACROSS CENTRAL NEVADA. THERE WILL BE SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD POOL BUT THESE WILL NOT BE AS SIGNIFICANT AFTER THE DEEPER MOISTURE MOVES AWAY TO THE EAST. HIGH TEMPS WILL DROP 10-15 DEGREES SATURDAY AND LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BE IN THE 50S AND 60S ACROSS THE MOJAVE DESERT REGION. .LONG TERM...THERE IS VERY GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT WITH THE UPPER LOW REMAINING CENTERED OVER NEVADA ON SUNDAY. SINCE THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL HAVE ALREADY MOVED OFF TO THE EAST BY THIS TIME, SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL RELY MORE ON WEAK INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW ITSELF. CURRENTLY, IT LOOKS LIKE SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS ON SUNDAY WITH ANY PRECIP EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT. WINDS COULD BE LOCALLY BREEZY AT TIMES SUNDAY WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES OF 5-8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL PERSISTING. THE LOW IS FORECAST TO SHIFT EAST MONDAY...ENDING PRECIPITATION CHANCES WITH DRY NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND IT THAT LASTS THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK. THIS WILL BRING A WARMING TREND TO THE AREA... RETURNING TEMPERATURES BACK TO NEAR NORMAL BY WEDNESDAY. MODELS FORECAST A SHORTWAVE PASSING THROUGH THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY WHICH COULD TURN WINDS TO THE NORTH BEHIND A SURFACE COLD FRONT. AT THIS POINT, WIND SPEEDS ARE NOT FORECAST TO BE SIGNIFICANT BUT IT WILL NEED TO WATCHED TO SEE HOW THIS WAVE EVOLVES. && .AVIATION...FOR MCCARRAN...A LIGHT SOUTHEAST WIND COMPONENT CAN BE EXPECTED MID TO LATE MORNING THEN SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS AROUND 25 KTS. ONLY FEW-SCT CUMULUS CLOUDS WILL BE AROUND TODAY. FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEVADA...NORTHWEST ARIZONA...AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA...A DRY AND STABLE AIR MASS REMAINS OVER THE AREA TODAY. BREEZY SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP MOST AREAS LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH AFTERNOON WITH SPEEDS 10-20 KTS AND GUSTS 30-35 KTS. ONLY FEW-SCT CUMULUS CLOUDS WILL BE AROUND TODAY. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...ADAIR LONG TERM...SALMEN FOR MORE FORECAST INFORMATION...SEE US ON OUR WEBPAGE: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/LASVEGAS OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 high wind, 2 lightning, 2 flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
This event occurred 40 miles E of Beatty.
Warm Springs Road was flooded and impassable. The spotter measured 1.67 inches of rain, most of which fell in 45 minutes.
This gust occurred 40 miles E of Beatty.
Water and large rocks were flowing across Highway 93 six miles south of Coyote Springs, and water was also starting to come over the road half a mile north of Coyote Springs.
Six to eight inches of water flowed over several roads in Boulder City.
This gust occurred at the North Las Vegas airport.
Lightning struck and set fire to a palm tree in the 7300 block of Raincloud Drive.
Thunderstorm winds blew a heavy construction barricade into a car, causing significant damage.
Several drivers were stranded in water 1-2 feet deep at Rancho and Alexander.
Lightning struck and set fire to a townhouse.
Public reported 3/4 hail at Charleston and Fort Apache.
Highway 93 was flooded between Lincoln County mile markers 65 and 70.
Thunderstorm winds broke off numerous small tree limbs, blew in the door of a business, and uprooted a large tree.
The intersection of Decatur Rd. and Horse Dr. was impassable due to flooding.
Flooding on the Muddy River closed Highway 168 5 miles NW of Moapa.
Water flowed over Valley of Fire Highway just off Interstate 15.
Highways 168, 169, and 170 were all closed due to flooding. Interstate 15 southbound was damaged and closed at mile marker 114.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, September 2014
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: 542940, 542941, 542942, 542943, 542944, 542945, 542946, 542947, 542948, 542949, 542950, 542951, 542952, 542953, 542954, 542955, 542956.