[Daddys///M3]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Were you drinking when you wrote this or just trying to scare someone? You've never, ever, seen 10 inches of rain in Las Vegas in a year, let alone an hour. We average less than 4 inches a year. When we have a thunderstorm the worst we ever get is about 1 inch of rain; maybe an inch & a half. Usually our rain is in the 10th of an inch category. But being desert, water doesn't seep into the ground very fast so it runs down the street. Due to some streets not being engineered very well, some of them have low spots where water accumulates rapidly causing flooding on those streets. In the old days the city never anticipated the need for storm drains since it only rains every few months, so some of the older areas have dips in the intersections to carry water in case it ever does rain. We have several dry washes that mostly run west to east. When there is any rain at all, those washes do what you've seen in the old cowboy movies, they carry flash floods. If you don't spend a lot of time in ditches you probably won't be affected, but every year when we get the big storm, some foolish people try to drive across them and somebody pays. Then my friend that flew the helicopter that rescued those people you're talking about gets to risk his life again because of someone else's mistake.

Most of the time, wherever you are from, you might find yourself wishing for some of that rain you left behind.

Although olecapt did embellish quite a bit, the thunderstorm that washed away portions of the Miracle Mile (I believe that's what it is or was called) in 2002 dumped over 3 inches of rain in just over 2 hours. The thunderstorms that trapped firefighters in the northwest part of the valley in 2003 dumped over 3 inches of rain in 45 minutes. Thunderstorms dumped over 2 inches of rain just east of summerlin just last year in 30 minutes, with a grand total of just over 3 1/4 inches in about 3 hours. Granted, it doesn't happen every year but it does happen.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Were you drinking when you wrote this or just trying to scare someone? You've never, ever, seen 10 inches of rain in Las Vegas in a year, let alone an hour. We average less than 4 inches a year. When we have a thunderstorm the worst we ever get is about 1 inch of rain; maybe an inch & a half. Usually our rain is in the 10th of an inch category. But being desert, water doesn't seep into the ground very fast so it runs down the street. Due to some streets not being engineered very well, some of them have low spots where water accumulates rapidly causing flooding on those streets. In the old days the city never anticipated the need for storm drains since it only rains every few months, so some of the older areas have dips in the intersections to carry water in case it ever does rain. We have several dry washes that mostly run west to east. When there is any rain at all, those washes do what you've seen in the old cowboy movies, they carry flash floods. If you don't spend a lot of time in ditches you probably won't be affected, but every year when we get the big storm, some foolish people try to drive across them and somebody pays. Then my friend that flew the helicopter that rescued those people you're talking about gets to risk his life again because of someone else's mistake.

Most of the time, wherever you are from, you might find yourself wishing for some of that rain you left behind.

Well actually...you don't know much about rain. You obiviously were not on Hickam when the water got 5 feet deep.

Rates my friend are very dcifferent from amounts. In fact that famed August of 2002 storm actually busted the rain gauges...So they really don't know how fast it was falling.. But they were past 6 inches an hour when the gauge broke.

I love it... I took $150,000 in damage in a storm that was only .1 inch or so...right...

Spent almost two hours in that storm getting from Sahara and Jones to Alexander and Durango where Buzz and I live. I finally walked the last 1/2 mile as there was no way to get in by car.

But it was only a lillte bitty range shower right Buzz?

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Well actually...you don't know much about rain. You obiviously were not on Hickam when the water got 5 feet deep.

Rates my friend are very dcifferent from amounts. In fact that famed August of 2002 storm actually busted the rain gauges...So they really don't know how fast it was falling.. But they were past 6 inches an hour when the gauge broke.

I love it... I took $150,000 in damage in a storm that was only .1 inch or so...right...

Spent almost two hours in that storm getting from Sahara and Jones to Alexander and Durango where Buzz and I live. I finally walked the last 1/2 mile as there was no way to get in by car.

But it was only a lillte bitty range shower right Buzz?

Yes, I remember that storm. My kids were calling me every five minutes to tell me which routes to take, because my daughter's father-in-law was flying the helicopter that was rescuing people, and he'd call home every so often. They'd call me and say, he's got four out so far, then six, then eight. And they'd tell me it's flooding worse on DI, or on Tenaya, or something, go around and come down Rampart. That was very, very unusual, and the only one of it's kind that I've seen in 44 years here. There can be isolated parts of town where 2 or even 3 inches comes down at times, but that is extremely rare and our overall rainfall is still only about 4 inches. Last year I don't think we even had three inches all year. The reason you got flooded, and I did too a little, was the way they configured the wash...or really lack of configuration. because of construction and new paved roads that didn't have working storm drains, the water was coming right down Alexander and Lone Mountain, and across the empty desert to the west of us. The water flow has been rerouted now with ten drainage channel at Alexander and Durango, so hopefully it will never happen again. That, by the way, was the 100 year flood that everyone had been predicting for the last 50 years. The point is, that it only takes less than ½ inch of rain to cause flash flooding in the desert. But it sounded to me like you were just trying to sensationalize it when the truth is it hardly ever rains more than four feet...that's 1 drop every four feet. 100 year floods don't happen very often do they?

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Yes, I remember that storm. My kids were calling me every five minutes to tell me which routes to take, because my daughter's father-in-law was flying the helicopter that was rescuing people, and he'd call home every so often. They'd call me and say, he's got four out so far, then six, then eight. And they'd tell me it's flooding worse on DI, or on Tenaya, or something, go around and come down Rampart. That was very, very unusual, and the only one of it's kind that I've seen in 44 years here. There can be isolated parts of town where 2 or even 3 inches comes down at times, but that is extremely rare and our overall rainfall is still only about 4 inches. Last year I don't think we even had three inches all year. The reason you got flooded, and I did too a little, was the way they configured the wash...or really lack of configuration. because of construction and new paved roads that didn't have working storm drains, the water was coming right down Alexander and Lone Mountain, and across the empty desert to the west of us. The water flow has been rerouted now with ten drainage channel at Alexander and Durango, so hopefully it will never happen again. That, by the way, was the 100 year flood that everyone had been predicting for the last 50 years. The point is, that it only takes less than ½ inch of rain to cause flash flooding in the desert. But it sounded to me like you were just trying to sensationalize it when the truth is it hardly ever rains more than four feet...that's 1 drop every four feet. 100 year floods don't happen very often do they?

I have lived here 12 years and there have been three to my knowledge...and two hit the NW...There are a couple of homes that were flooded twice. Both the NW storms were classifed as 100 year floods. The corner house north of the drainage exit in Tucson Trails for instance.

The hardware store at Gowan and Rainbow has been flooded more than three times.

The retention basins on Gowan filled up...one more inch and 95 would have flooded...it was very close.

[dynimagelv]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Yes, I remember that storm. My kids were calling me every five minutes to tell me which routes to take, because my daughter's father-in-law was flying the helicopter that was rescuing people, and he'd call home every so often. They'd call me and say, he's got four out so far, then six, then eight. And they'd tell me it's flooding worse on DI, or on Tenaya, or something, go around and come down Rampart. That was very, very unusual, and the only one of it's kind that I've seen in 44 years here. There can be isolated parts of town where 2 or even 3 inches comes down at times, but that is extremely rare and our overall rainfall is still only about 4 inches. Last year I don't think we even had three inches all year. The reason you got flooded, and I did too a little, was the way they configured the wash...or really lack of configuration. because of construction and new paved roads that didn't have working storm drains, the water was coming right down Alexander and Lone Mountain, and across the empty desert to the west of us. The water flow has been rerouted now with ten drainage channel at Alexander and Durango, so hopefully it will never happen again. That, by the way, was the 100 year flood that everyone had been predicting for the last 50 years. The point is, that it only takes less than ½ inch of rain to cause flash flooding in the desert. But it sounded to me like you were just trying to sensationalize it when the truth is it hardly ever rains more than four feet...that's 1 drop every four feet. 100 year floods don't happen very often do they?

My guess is once every hundred years

[wester]

I miss Utah. Miss its crispness brilliance bigness of its streets. Miss the powdered sugar dusting on the mountains. Miss its crispness brilliance bigness of its streets.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

My guess is once every hundred years

You would I think be wrong. Been at least 3 in the twelve years I have lived here.

Note that it might actually be 100 years on average. But you could have one in a different place each year.

The problem of course is that the 100 year flood has legal significance. Deals with whether or not you need flood insurance and such. I suspect the local government would not want the whole city in the 100 year flood plain even though it may well be....

[dynimagelv]

in theory, each time you have a flood that is classed as a "hundred year flood" that would then reset the bar and start the 100 year timer anew.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

My guess is once every hundred years

Actually, that's what I thought too from hearing the warnings for 40 years that said it was about 50 years overdue prior to the one olecapt went swimming in, but apparently that's not really what it means. But that's why I posed the question the way I did. If you can decipher this explanation please give us a report later, and try and simplify it for me, please.

100-year flood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by wester

I miss Utah. Miss its crispness brilliance bigness of its streets. Miss the powdered sugar dusting on the mountains. Miss its crispness brilliance bigness of its streets.

What is you miss again??? The streets???

I miss, Miss Utah.