Sandoval to tour Rainbow flood area

Gov. Brian Sandoval will tour flood-battered Mount Charleston on Friday, when Rainbow subdivision residents are expected to still be cleaning homes and yards of debris.

His arrival comes after Monday’s flash flood wiped out streets and swept water, mud and boulders into mountain cabins.

It also comes after residents voiced their frustration that Clark County and the federal government were unable to reach an agreement that would have put a flood diversion project in place before the monsoon season started in July.

County officials rejected the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project because of a requirement that the county assume liability for the earthen berm on federal land southeast of Rainbow.

Sandoval said he doesn’t know if the state can take on that responsibility in the county’s place, but didn’t rule it out.

“I’m definitely going down there tomorrow,” Sandoval said Thursday in an interview. “I’m going to tour the area and talk to some local folks. I know there have been some issues with regard to the county and the federal government and I just want to be helpful in any way I can.”

More rain is in the forecast for Mount Charleston area this weekend. The National Weather Service said there’s a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday, with rain and thunderstorms likely on Sunday as well.

The monsoonal rains — including the Monday storm — aren’t statistically heavy for this time of year. However, the area is more prone to flooding following the loss of vegetation from the Carpenter 1 Fire that destroyed nearly 28,000 acres of the Spring Mountains in summer 2013, including areas uphill from Rainbow.

State officials sought the corps’ input after the fire. The federal agency requires local or state agency sponsors to maintain projects and assume liability after they are built.

The county was willing to maintain the project — a proposed 1,700-foot-long temporary berm — but unwilling to take on the liability of being sued if it fails.

Sandoval said he needs to visit with federal officials and “to go up there and see it for myself and get an idea of what is going on. It is a big priority for me. I know that there are a lot of folks out there who have gone through a lot. I’m really worried about them so I’m looking forward to getting over there.”

County officials have said they are open to continuing negotiations with the corps to reach an agreement.

U.S. Forest Service officials estimate it will take five to seven years for the vegetation to grow back enough to protect the community from flooding.

As for this weekend, it’s difficult to predict whether the storms will hit the Rainbow area, said John Adair, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas.

“With thunderstorms, they can dump a whole lot of rain on one area and a mile away it’s not a lot,” he said. “It’s hard to say with any certainty (that) yes they will get hit again, or no they won’t.”

The weather service’s gauge in Rainbow Canyon logged 2.4 inches of rain on Monday.

“For a thunderstorm to drop two or three inches of rain in any part of our forecast is very common,” he said.

County officials estimate there could be about two dozen Rainbow homes with varying levels of damage. The flood washed down rocks and boulders, leaving yards throughout the mountain neighborhood covered with debris. Of the damaged properties, five structures were severely damaged, including three houses, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.

Damage estimates were unavailable Thursday afternoon, and crews were surveying the area for damage to public areas and private structures. County commissioners will vote Tuesday on a resolution declaring a state of emergency for the flood area, a step necessary to pursue state or federal aid, commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said.

The flooding washed out about 2,000 feet of county roads, primarily Rainbow Canyon Boulevard, leaving the county with estimated damage of about $75,000.

Before the storm, county crews were working on the road and planning to repave it due to damages from a smaller September 2013 flood.

The paving work is expected to be done by the end of the year, Welling said.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-9781. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1. Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.