September 2023 southwestern U.S. floods explained

Duration:September 1 — September 3, 2023
Cause:Heavy rains
Type:Flood
Maximum-Rain:>4inches east of Palo Verde, California
Basin:atl
Damages:$550 million (2023 USD)[1]
Fatalities:1
Peoples Affected:>80,000
Areas:Southeastern California, southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona, southwestern Utah

In a period of three days on September 1–3, 2023, flooding occurred as part of a seasonal monsoon season across portions of the Southwestern United States, including California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and the Las Vegas Valley. Muddy terrain during the Burning Man festival stranded more than 70,000 people.[2]

Meteorological synopsis

Across the Desert Southwest, training showers and thunderstorms developed as they headed northward by an almost-undirectional flow, which was situated between a low-pressure area across California, and a retreating ridge of high pressure to the east of the low.[3] Southerly flow between the low and the high pressure ridge caused moisture to be driven northward, surface-based convective available potential energy values of 1000–2000 j/kg yielded conditions for heavy rainfall-producing convective systems, and weak shortwaves combined with shear between 25kn35kn also provided thunderstorm development. On September 1, the Weather Prediction Center also stated in a mesoscale precipitation discussion that repeated rounds of thunderstorms were possible across the southwestern United States.[4]

Impact

Nevada

Interstate 15 near the California—Nevada border and south of Jean was shut down due to flooding.[5] [6] [7] At least 24 water rescues occurred and more than 30 vehicles submerged in floodwaters as crews from Las Vegas Fire & Rescue assisted with search and rescue efforts.[8] [9] One death, possibly due to drowning from floodwaters, occurred near Las Vegas in West Valley, Nevada.[10] A downpour also temporarily delayed a UNLV—Bryant college football game at Allegiant Stadium.[11] Portions of the Las Vegas Strip flooded, including a channel outside of The Linq as the city of Las Vegas was under a flash flood warning.[12] The Nevada Department of Transportation closed travel lanes on Nevada State Route 447.[13] Debris closed all but one lane on U.S. Route 93 northbound. The National Weather Service office in Las Vegas recorded 0.88inches of rainfall, which was the wettest day in September in 11 years.[14]

More than 4,000 power outages occurred, and 108 flights were cancelled, along with 673 delayed flights at Harry Reid International Airport.[15] A ground stop was also briefly issued for the airport.[16]

Burning Man

See main article: Burning Man 2023. Torrential rainfall flooded the Burning Man festival, which was closed throughout the remainder of the scheduled event afterwards as thunderstorms also flooded the Black Rock Desert.[17] Diplo and Chris Rock, who attended the festival, fled NaNmiles from the festival site through mud caused by the floods.[18] [19] [20] Mud across roads near the festival closed vehicle traffic stranding at least 73,000 people after the festival ended.[21] According to Pershing County sheriff Jerry Allen, some vehicles have caused damage to the playa. Allen urged attendees to avoid driving out of the festival.[22] The burning of the Man was delayed[23] and one person died.[24] Former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal took a six-mile (10 km) hike, describing the journey as "harrowing".[25]

California

More than 12 water rescues occurred in Imperial County, as several roads in that county were also closed due to debris and flooding.[26] Portions of California State Route 78 in Imperial Valley were closed, and the California Highway Patrol, United States Coast Guard's San Diego sector, and the Imperial County Fire Department assisted with flood rescue operations. More than 4inches fell across portions of Imperial County and east of Palo Verde. Road closures also occurred in Coachella Valley, and the Riverside County Emergency Management Department coordinated with numerous emergency management departments to address damage and concerns.[27] Several businesses and homes, along with agricultural fields, were flooded in Niland, as more than 4inches of rain fell east of the area.[28]

Arizona

Several streets were flooded in a Yuma neighborhood as the city received up to 4inches in two hours.[29] Yuma, Mohave, Pima, and La Paz counties were under a flash flood warning, and a funnel cloud was reported near San Luis. Cities in western Arizona, including Kingman, Bullhead City, and Fort Mohave were also under flash flood warnings.[30] High wind gusts caused blowing dust across portions of the state, which led to a delay in a Arizona State Sun Devils football game.[31] There were also wind gusts of up to 71mph at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where several flights there were diverted,[32] and more than 27,000 power outages occurred in Maricopa County. A rainfall record was set in Yuma on September 2, breaking the previous record of 1.67inches.

Elsewhere

Mudslides forced closures on portions of U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 191 in Carbon County.[33] Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for portions of western Utah.[34] Heavy rainfall caused mud and rockslides at Bryce Canyon National Park, and forced the closure of Navajo Loop Trail. Severe thunderstorm warnings and flood advisories were also issued for Eastern Idaho.[35]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Q3 Global Catastrophe Recap October 2023 . . October 31, 2023.
  2. Web site: Blanco . Andrea . September 2, 2023 . Burning Man turns to mud pit in heavy downpours after being delayed by hurricane . September 2, 2023 . . en . September 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230902212219/https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/burning-man-mud-storm-nevada-b2403922.html . live .
  3. Web site: Weiss . Joshua . September 1, 2023 . Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 1020 . 2023-09-04 . . EN-US . 2023-09-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904030842/https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/metwatch/metwatch_mpd_multi.php?md=1020&yr=2023 . live .
  4. Web site: Otto . Richard . September 1, 2023 . Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 1015 . September 4, 2023 . . EN-US . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904160823/https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/metwatch/metwatch_mpd_multi.php?md=1015&yr=2023 . live .
  5. Web site: Ray De La Cruz . Rene . September 4, 2023 . Traffic resumes after flooding shuts down Interstate 15 near California-Nevada border . September 4, 2023 . . en-US . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904162334/https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/2023/09/04/traffic-resumes-after-flooding-shuts-down-interstate-15/70759660007/ . live .
  6. Web site: Kaufman . Carrie . September 2, 2023 . I-15 Southbound just north of Primm. . September 4, 2023 . X (formerly Twitter) . en . October 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231015002104/https://twitter.com/CarrieKaufman/status/1698149237006188658 . live .
  7. Web site: September 3, 2023 . Las Vegas drying out after 2 days of heavy rainfall that prompted water rescues, possible drowning . September 4, 2023 . . en . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904054816/https://apnews.com/article/las-vegas-flooding-water-rescues-heavy-rainfall-599f6503ae2d0821b80a1efd53cca3bc . live .
  8. Web site: September 2, 2023 . Last night, we responded to 24 swift water rescue events including: · 30-35 vehicles stranded in water · 10 – 12 people rescued from standing or moving water . September 4, 2023 . X (formerly Twitter) . en . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904165616/https://twitter.com/LasVegasFD/status/1698013535320600747 . live .
  9. Web site: September 1, 2023 . We had a busy morning with two swift water rescues, both around 7 a.m.: - Three vehicles stranded in the water near Sahara and Decatur - Three vehicles stalled in water near Charleston and Commerce . September 4, 2023 . X (formerly Twitter) . en . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903231411/https://twitter.com/LasVegasFD/status/1697747335420297356 . live .
  10. Web site: Staff . News 3 . September 2, 2023 . Las Vegas Fire and Rescue locate believed drowning victim in west valley . September 4, 2023 . . en . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903235130/https://news3lv.com/news/local/las-vegas-fire-and-rescue-locate-believed-drowning-victim-in-west-valley . live .
  11. Web site: Review-Journal . Adam Hill Las Vegas . 2023-09-02 . UNLV game delayed by rain at Allegiant Stadium, Raiders' home Las Vegas Review-Journal . 2023-09-04 . en-US . 2023-09-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904023857/https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unlv/unlv-football/allegiant-stadium-roof-leak-causes-delay-in-unlv-home-opener-2898423/ . live .
  12. News: Tumin . Remy . September 1, 2023 . Parts of Las Vegas Strip Flood After Heavy Rain . en-US . . September 4, 2023 . 0362-4331 . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903200827/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/us/las-vegas-flooding.html . live .
  13. Web site: Thomas . Carly . September 2, 2023 . Diplo and Chris Rock Escape Burning Man Festival After Catching Ride in Fan's Pickup Truck . September 3, 2023 . . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903032301/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/diplo-chris-rock-escape-burning-man-festival-rainfall-mud-weather-1235580942/ . live .
  14. Web site: Sistek . Scott . September 2, 2023 . Monsoon storms continue pounding Southwest, charge north after days of heavy flooding in Las Vegas . December 1, 2023 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: Roberts . Alyssa . September 2, 2023 . Thousands lose power, hundreds of flights delayed as rain drenches Las Vegas Valley . September 5, 2023 . . en . September 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230905015639/https://www.ktnv.com/news/thousands-lose-power-hundreds-of-flights-delayed-as-rain-drenches-las-vegas-valley . live .
  16. Web site: September 1, 2023 . Heavy rain causes flooded streets, water rescues in Southern Nevada . October 29, 2023 . . en.
  17. Web site: Mae Czachor . Emily . September 3, 2023 . Investigation launched into death at Burning Man, with thousands still stranded in Nevada desert after flooding . September 4, 2023 . . en-US . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904004357/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/burning-man-death-investigation-70000-stranded-nevada-desert-flooding/ . live .
  18. Web site: Deliso . Meredith . Hutchinson . Bill . September 3, 2023 . Death reported at Burning Man as attendees asked to conserve food after flooding strands thousands . September 4, 2023 . . en . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904020708/https://abcnews.go.com/US/burning-man-rains-mud/story?id=102886032 . live .
  19. Web site: September 2, 2023 . just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up . September 4, 2023 . X (formerly Twitter) . en . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903054056/https://twitter.com/diplo/status/1698095454544949421 . live .
  20. Web site: Barsanti . Sam . September 3, 2023 . Diplo and Chris Rock made a harrowing escape from Burning Man . September 3, 2023 . . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903171902/https://www.avclub.com/diplo-chris-rock-mud-burning-man-1850800653 . live .
  21. Web site: Hughes . Trevor . Bacon . John . September 3, 2023 . A sea of mud, overflowing Porta-potties and a rain delay: Burning Man updates . September 4, 2023 . . en-US . October 15, 2023 . https://archive.today/20231015002918/https://www.rgj.com/story/news/nation/2023/09/03/burning-man-2023-live-updates/70757172007/ . live .
  22. Web site: Deliso . Meredith . Hutchinson . Bill . September 3, 2023 . Death reported at Burning Man as attendees asked to conserve food after flooding strands thousands . September 3, 2023 . . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903024640/https://abcnews.go.com/US/burning-man-rains-mud/story?id=102886032 . live .
  23. Web site: Hughes . Trevor . Bacon . John . September 3, 2023 . Thousands still stuck in the muck at Burning Man festival; 1 death reported . September 3, 2023 . . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903164823/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/09/03/burning-man-2023-live-updates/70757172007/ . live .
  24. Web site: Betts . Anna . Mayorquin . Orlando . Medina . Eduardo . September 3, 2023 . Authorities Investigate Death at Burning Man as Thousands Remain Trapped . September 3, 2023 . . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903153053/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/03/us/burning-man-death-rain-mud.html/ . live .
  25. Web site: Alsup . Dave . September 3, 2023 . Attendee describes his "incredibly harrowing" 6-mile hike out of Burning Man . September 3, 2023 . . September 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230903173710/https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/nevada-desert-burning-man-weather-rain-09-03-23/h_30460d65763f4804de2361782b0a72a4 . live .
  26. Web site: Feather . Bill . September 2, 2023 . Late-summer monsoon leads to flash flooding, rescues in Imperial County . September 4, 2023 . . en-US . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904034136/https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/late-summer-monsoon-leads-to-flash-flooding-rescues-in-imperial-county/3298104/ . live .
  27. Web site: News Service . City . September 3, 2023 . RivCo Agencies Respond To Eastern Coachella Valley Flooding . September 4, 2023 . . en . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904202411/https://patch.com/california/banning-beaumont/rivco-agencies-respond-eastern-coachella-valley-flooding . live .
  28. Web site: 2023 Monsoon Season Review . January 22, 2024 . National Weather Service Phoenix, Arizona . EN-US.
  29. Web site: Staff . FOX 10 . September 3, 2023 . Heavy rains cause flash flooding in western Arizona . September 4, 2023 . . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904203914/https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/heavy-rains-cause-flash-flooding-in-western-arizona.amp . live .
  30. Web site: September 1, 2023 . US: Flash flood warning in effect for parts western Arizona through 05:45 MST Sept. 1 . September 4, 2023 . Crisis24 . en . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904203910/https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2023/09/us-flash-flood-warning-in-effect-for-parts-western-arizona-through-0545-mst-sept-1 . live .
  31. Web site: Elamroussi . Aya . Shackelford . Rob . September 1, 2023 . Severe thunderstorms in Arizona knock out power to tens of thousands with high winds, heavy rains and dust storm warnings . November 30, 2023 . . en.
  32. Web site: Gabriel . Angeli . September 1, 2023 . Las Vegas roads swamped as monsoon thunderstorms trigger flash flooding . December 1, 2023 . . en-US.
  33. Web site: Houck . Michael . September 3, 2023 . Major mudslide closes U.S. Highway 6 in Carbon County . September 4, 2023 . . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904210803/https://ksltv.com/583741/major-mudslide-closes-u-s-highway-6-in-carbon-county/ . live .
  34. Web site: Weather Team . 2News . September 3, 2023 . Storm moving deeper into Utah after hitting areas with wind, rain, hail . September 4, 2023 . . September 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230904212303/https://kutv.com/amp/news/local/flood-watch-issued-as-wasatch-front-northern-utah-expects-severe-storms-and-possible-flooding-monsoon-rain-rainshowers-labor-day-weather-forecast-flood-waters-salt-lake-valley-flood-watch . live .
  35. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2023/09/severe-thunderstorm-warning-flood-advisory-issued-for-several-counties/ Severe thunderstorm warning, flood advisory issued for several counties

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "September 2023 southwestern U.S. floods".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.