Southwest Floods Could Bring Some Relief to Lake Mead and Lake Powell

An early-season atmospheric river dumped a month's worth of rain across parts of the Desert Southwest in recent days. At least one death has been blamed for the deluge of moisture. Here is a recap of this deadly weather event.

Powerful Atmospheric River Ushers in Record Rainfall for the Southwest

A potent atmospheric river took aim at the southwestern U.S. beginning on Friday and persisting through the weekend, flooding roadways and homes and killing at least one person. The confirmed fatality happened in Henderson, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas. Firefighters pulled the individual from a flooded wash on Friday. According to FOX5, the victim went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Another individual was reported missing on Sunday near the mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona. The City of Flagstaff detailed that "At approximately 5:57 p.m., emergency crews were dispatched to the area after a report that a man lost his footing near fast-moving water, fell in, and was not seen resurfacing."

Emergency crews were kept busy over the weekend as several major flooding incidents unfolded across Arizona, one of the hardest-hit states in the region. Many roads were deemed impassable as the water came down in sheets.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona confirmed 16 water rescues by Sunday afternoon. Moving to the north in the Grand Canyon State, Coconino County activated its Emergency Operations Center as residents were evacuated from their flooded homes.

Central Arizona was ground zero for some of the worst of the flooding. The National Weather Service (NWS) said that about 150 to 200 homes were flooded on Sunday in the Rimrock and Lake Montezuma areas of the region.