Heavy rain poured into casinos and streets were flooded as Las Vegas continued to suffer its wettest monsoon season in a decade.
Rainwater fell through the ceiling onto the heads of diners in a restaurant at Caesars hotel and casino, while water also poured in through a ceiling at the Planet Hollywood casino as the city was deluged by yet another storm.
Two weeks ago, damaging winds and another heavy cloudburst also sent water rushing into casinos.
Water turned streets into rivers and flowed in waves through underground car parks as large numbers of buildings were hit by a reported 114 power outrages. Wind gusts of up to 64 mph were clocked at the North Las Vegas Airport and near the Strip, while the National Weather Service received “multiple reports” of lightning setting trees on fire.
The wet monsoon season is helping to alleviate the severe drought experienced by much of the western United States, but is also causing serious damage. And there were warnings of more downpours to come this weekend with the potential for further flash flooding.
"We're starting to sound like a broken record here, but thunderstorms are possible yet again as well as flash flooding," the weather service said. A flash flood watch has been posted for much of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and far eastern California.
The weather service said: "Little change over the weekend, with rich monsoonal moisture remaining entrenched across the Mojave Desert. While daily storm coverage remains uncertain, flash flood risk will persist given continued slow storm motion and efficient rainfall rates."
The monsoon rains in recent weeks have reduced drought levels to those not seen in many months with the US Drought Monitor reporting that Arizona, New Mexico, the California deserts, southern Nevada and a few other scattered areas have measured at least 200 per cent of normal rainfall over the past two months.
Last week, 1,000 people were stranded in California’s Death Valley National Park because of a one-in-1,000-year downpour, while in Nevada the "exceptional drought" area dropped to four per cent from nearly 30 per cent in a week to record its lowest point in nearly two years.
However, scientists have warned that extreme drought and flooding will become more frequent and more intense because of climate change.
Thursday's rainfall of 0.58 inches on Thursday brought the total for this year's monsoon season to 1.28 inches, the wettest since 2012, which had 3.63 inches. The monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30, with the all-time wettest monsoon season being in 1984 with 4.16 inches.
