The remnant circulation of former Pacific Hurricane Kay brought thunderstorms and flash flooding to the Mojave Desert.
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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.
The remnant circulation of former Pacific Hurricane Kay brought thunderstorms and flash flooding to the Mojave Desert.
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 10, 1:05 AM PST, 12 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Las Vegas NV 205 AM PDT Sat Sep 10 2022 .SYNOPSIS...Remnants of Kay will continue to push moisture into the region throughout the day and develop scattered showers and thunderstorms across southeastern California, southern Nevada, and northwest Arizona. Heavy rain will continue to be the main concern today, with Flash Flood Watches remaining in effect through late this evening. Kay's circulation will push eastward on-shore and bring several days of shower and thunderstorm chances to the area, favoring south-central Nevada and the Sierra Nevada. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Sunday. As of 08Z this morning, shower activity has been rather meager across the region with Kay continuing to weaken off the coast of California. Despite some impressive UL divergence associated with Kay's interaction with a longwave trough to the north, this has not been enough lift to tap into the rich low level moisture advecting northward into the CWA. It seems as though the strong convective inhibition in place over the region is squelching the prospect of much development overnight. Even orographic enhancement has not helped much. Some of the highest amounts thus far have been in the high terrain of Morongo Valley, but below 1" of storm total precip so far and over the course of several hours. So while the overnight period is disappointing from a rainfall generation standpoint, there is still plenty of opportunity for heavy rain development through the next 24 hours. A 20-30kt 850 mb southerly jet is strongly advecting low level moisture up and into the southern Nevada this morning. KLAS dewpoints at 0830Z were in the low 60s and RAP analysis shows this continuing through the morning. Additionally, GOES17 WV satellite shows dry slotting taking shape over southern Arizona this morning and HREF mean cloud cover shows several areas of clearing possible by the mid to late morning period. Further, a band of vorticity associated with Kay is developing and slowly moving northward this morning into the lower Colorado River Valley. After sunrise, the addition of some differential heating (if clouds indeed erode) could be enough to get things going along the aforementioned vorticity band and bring the heavy rain and flash flooding we have been waiting to unfold. Latest WPC QPF continues to highlight this area from the Sierra Nevada through Mohave county as belt of highest QPF through the day today and still think this makes sense given these features observed. So in hindsight, the earlier onset of the FFA turned out to be a little premature, but the continued potential for heavy rain later today and this afternoon will keep the FFAs in place as originally issued. Sunday's forecast remains mostly unchanged, with slightly lower PWATs across the area with Kay's circulation jaunting southward a bit. Highest PoPs continue to be over the Sierra and Springs, but afternoon thunderstorms will be possible across much of the region. However, HREF and global ensemble QPF is much more isolated and much less plentiful compared to today. 00Z HREF 6hr PMM for QPF only show a few high terrain spots including the Sierra and Panamints with over 0.5" keeping the flash flood threat much more isolated and marginal in nature. .LONG TERM...Monday through Friday. On Monday, ridging over Utah will weaken and push eastward as the trough associated with the remnants of former Hurricane Kay push inland. NBM PoPs encompass our entire forecast area on Monday, as the center of the low passes directly overhead. PoPs continue through midweek, slowly shifting northeastward as upper-level flow ushers the moisture away. Thereafter, a much welcomed, dry southwesterly flow will set up over the region. Shortwave propagations will likely increase afternoon breeziness in the latter half of the week, but otherwise, dry conditions are expected with PWAT values dropping below an inch areawide. Temperatures will cool as well, with below-average temperatures expected through the forecast period. There is a good deal of uncertainty in the extended period, but the NBM seems to be latching onto the 'Return of the High' solution, with temperatures increasing back to above-average next weekend. && .AVIATION...For Harry Reid...Southeast wind 8-12 kts, occasional gusts to 17 kts may be seen the rest of this morning followed by an easterly wind this afternoon and evening. Precipitation chances remain tough to nail down as moisture indeed has increased but dynamics/lift have been slow to develop well away from the cyclonic rotation of post-tropical cyclone Kay. Latest guidance suggests an area of light showers develops in and around the valley later this morning. Thunderstorms are possible later this afternoon and early evening as the air mass becomes more unstable. Movement of the showers and thunderstorms will be from east to west. Precipitation threat looks to end by late evening leaving behind partly cloudy skies overnight. For the rest of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California...Expecting a band of showers with embedded thunderstorms to develop across northwest Arizona, southern Nevada and Inyo County today. Storm motion will be from east to west. Precipitation chances look to be lower across San Bernardino and the Colorado River. Precipitation looks to dissipate by late evening leaving behind partly cloudy skies. Lowering ceilings with precipitation 5000-8000 ft at times, as well as visibility down to 5SM with any heavier rain. Southeast-east winds generally 10-15 kts through the period. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...Spotters are encouraged to report any significant weather or impacts according to standard operating procedures. && SHORT TERM...TB3 LONG TERM...Varian AVIATION...Pierce For more forecast information...see us on our webpage: https://weather.gov/lasvegas or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:16 UTC.
17 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Hwy 395 was partially flooded.
Flooding, debris, and road damage closed Hwy 190.
Hwy 168 was flooded at The Narrows.
Badwater Rd was closed due to flooding, debris, and road damage.
Hwy 136 was closed due to mud with a motorcycle stuck.
Hwy 190 was flooded and damaged at and just west of Towne Pass.
Pine Creek Rd was covered with water, boulders, and debris, stranding campers.
Zzyzx Rd was damaged, and Mojave Rd was impassable from Rasor Rd to Kelbaker Rd.
A large amount of water and mud covered Main St at Hinkley Rd.
Fort Irwin Rd was flooded.
Both sides of Hwy 395 were flooded near Olancha Ln. Later reports noted large boulders in the road, and stated that the road was flexing from the water.
Hwy 190 was closed.
Hwy 395 was flooded at Lone Willow Dip (in addition to the Olancha Ln flooding also documented in this episode), stranding 50 to 100 cars between the two flooded areas.
Hwy 190 was washed away by a 10 to 15 foot high wall of fast-moving water near Centennial Flats. One truck was swept away; the occupant was unharmed.
Hwy 136 was closed.
Knee high mud was over Hwy 190, and a school bus was stuck in the mud.
Hwy 6 was flooded with water and mud.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, September 2022
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: 1058534, 1058536, 1058538, 1058539, 1058540, 1058541, 1058543, 1058545, 1058547, 1058550, 1058553, 1058556, 1058558, 1058559, 1058561, 1058563, 1058564.