Torrential flash floods have impacted several Las Vegas Strip casinos, including the Circa Resort & Casino, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood and the LINQ Hotel. No casualties have been reported as of yet, but the flooding is severe, with local airports experiencing serious delays and electrical surges shorting the power in many neighborhoods.
Viral videos have shown flood water reaching the ceilings of Caesars Palace and water gushing through a screen at Circa Resort & Casino. The water has forced patrons from these famous venues out to the street, where they captured riveting footage of the flash flood’s impact.
Strong storms have been moving through the entire Las Vegas Valley area. Flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in the early hours of Friday morning, according to the city.
Planet Hollywood Casino, located on Las Vegas Boulevard, was also hit badly, with viral footage showing water pouring from holes in the ceiling. Local media outlets have reached out to Planet Hollywood and Caesar’s Palace for comment and have yet to receive a reply. Circa has declined to comment on the ongoing events.
Las Vegas and its casinos aren’t well equipped to deal with flash floods, as social media videos of the event attest. Simon Jowitt, an economic geologist and professor at the University of Las Vegas, commented that flash floods were rare, but Nevadians were still forewarned to anticipate monsoon season from July to September.
Jowitt says, “We’ve got good drainage systems but sometimes the water just overloads them. The other thing is that we don’t often get rain so it’s hard to check whether roofs and the like are waterproof, probably what has happened in the casinos tonight.”
