UPDATE: Lee Canyon announced Monday that the resort will remain closed
until at least Friday, Aug. 25, in line with the US Forest Service’s closure of the Spring Mountain
National Recreation Area.
The weekend brought heavy rain to Lee Canyon, with Tropical Storm Hilary dropping 9.8 inches. Once the closure is lifted, Lee Canyon’s personnel can properly assess the storm’s impact on the resort and determine if remaining shuttered is necessary.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Residents who live on Mount Charleston were sheltering in place Monday morning after up to 8 inches of rain pummeled the Spring Mountains causing flooding, power outages, and damaging the water delivery system.
According to Clark County, “The old town area in Mt Charleston has substantial flooding as does rainbow subdivision. Residents are sheltering in place.”
Currently, vehicles can not travel to Kyle Canyon because of road closures. State Route 157 is closed at SR158 (Deer Creek Highway) due to flooding damage and there is no estimate for when the road will open. State Route 156 to Lee Canyon is also washed out.
“I wouldn’t trust driving up over it for anything at this point,” said Lee Canyon resident Jimmy Alderson. “we are sheltering in place we are 500 feet up from the road so we are doing OK … we don’t know when we will be able to get across that bridge and get back onto the highway.”
Residents are also under a “boiled water notice” after the storm damaged the Kyle Canyon Water System.
Severe, overnight flooding on Mt. Charleston – and specifically within Kyle Canyon – caused a severe leak in the Kyle Canyon Water System, resulting in major reservoir tanks losing water pressure.
Las Vegas Valley Water District
Kyle Canyon residents are advised to boil tap water before using it for drinking, food preparation, making ice, brushing teeth, and washing dishes until further notice. Water should be boiled for at least three minutes. Residents are also being asked to shut off irrigation systems to reduce the demand on the water supply.
The videos shot by a Mount Charleston resident show flooding near Echo and Spruce roads.
There is no timeline for when the boil water order will be lifted but water district crews will remain on the mountain until repairs are completed, the district said in a news release.
Mt. Charleston Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jorge Gonzalez told 8 News Now on Monday that his team is still trying to reach visitors at cabins in three of the hardest-hit subdivisions.
“We have encouraged all our residents to stay in place,” Gonzalez said. “Until we can get access to them and the road.”
“What we have is pretty extensive damage to a stretch of about 200 feet of State Route 157 and Kyle Canyon Road. Includes some wash-out areas and some buckling,” added Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Justin Hopkins.
A shelter location for residents is at 2755 Kyle Canyon Road, the Retreat on Charleston Peak. Nevada National Guard is en route to assist.
