AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today October 31, 2026
Severe Flooding Impacts Las Vegas Arts District Businesses
Businesses in the Las Vegas Arts District are working to recover after heavy storms on Friday resulted in significant flooding and property damage. Store owners shared their experiences with 8 News Now, describing how quickly the situation escalated and their efforts to deal with the aftermath.
Floodwaters Catch Businesses Off Guard
Lesly Garvey, owner of Los West Coast, was driving to work when the flooding began. “I came down Imperial, and as I was turning, it was really flooded,” Garvey said. She recounted assisting an elderly couple, one of whom had fallen and was soaked, by guiding them through a less flooded area for their safety.
Upon returning to her store, Garvey found water entering the premises. “We started putting buckets everywhere for the leak,” she explained. "And right away, we started grabbing mops and just started sweeping out the water, so it wouldn’t pile up. But I mean, at some point, we're like, okay, we can’t just stop it all at once.”
Quick Action Attempts to Limit Damage
Karina Carancho, owner of Plur City, described her experience during the storm. Carancho, whose rave gear store opened only a few months ago, was at work when the flooding happened. "Every time a car drove by, it was like a wave hitting the window and all the water would just pour in through the door again," she said. Lacking towels, Carancho improvised by using clothes from her discount racks to soak up water.
As water continued to enter the store, Carancho and her team began unplugging electrical equipment and moving racks to minimize potential damage. "There was no preventing it. It was coming through, so we started unplugging everything, all of our signs, our wires on the floor, and we moved out the racks," she added.
Ongoing Storm Drain Project Set for Completion Next Year
The Charleston Boulevard Storm Drain Project, which is expected to address some of the flooding problems in the area, is currently underway. According to the Regional Flood Control District, this project is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
Uncertain Weekend for Local Businesses
For those affected, the timing of the flooding could not have been worse. Garvey stated that the damage would likely force her leather clothing store to remain closed through the weekend. Meanwhile, Carancho’s rave gear store faced the challenge of continuing operations during one of their busiest periods—Halloween weekend. Despite the circumstances, Carancho expressed a strong desire to avoid closing, even temporarily, because of the significance of the holiday for her business.
Cleanup and Recovery Efforts Underway
Store owners in the Arts District are now focused on cleanup and preventing further damage as they await longer-term flood mitigation efforts. The situation highlights both the vulnerability of local businesses to severe weather and the ongoing need for improved infrastructure as the community works to bounce back from this storm event.
Source: 8newsnow.com.
