Las Vegas valley under flood watch as Tropical Storm Rachel takes aim at US Southwest

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Valley and much of the surrounding area is under a flood watch as forecasters warn of the potential for heavy rain and flooding on Saturday and Sunday.

Flood advisories and alerts have been issued for much of the U.S. Southwest with Tropical Storm Rachel expected to drench the region over the weekend.

The storm is expected to bring as much as 1.2 inches of rain to the Las Vegas Valley and more than 2 inches to the Spring Mountains.

The National Weather Service's Las Vegas field office warns of the potential for flash flooding cause by excessive rainfall.

Areas identified in the flood watch include the Las Vegas Valley, northeast, southern and western Clark County, the Spring Mountains, southern Nye County, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, the Sheep Range and Lincoln County.

Excessive runoff from rainfall may result in flooding in urban areas and those with poor drainage, forecasters warned.

A wind advisory is also in effect from 5 a.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 miles per hour are expected in portions of southern Nevada, northwest Arizona and southeast California.

NWS forecasters warned that winds could be strong enough to knock down tree limbs and may cause power outages.

NV Energy issued an advisory to customers on Friday afternoon noting that the company is preparing for potential weather impacts from Tropical Storm Rachel.

The utility provider says it is "closely monitoring" weather conditions and staffing crews to respond to any issues over the weekend.

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