(Las Vegas) —Crews spent at least a few hours Tuesday removing debris from a storm drain near Las Vegas Quality Water Works. The business flooded after remnants from Tropical Storm Rachael slammed into the valley last month.
The business said the drain became clogged with debris and sent water into the building instead of down a drainage tunnel. The businesses says the clog came from debris from a nearby homeless camp and a pipe broke. Clark County officials confirmed a broken pipe.
MORE ON FOX5: Homicide investigation underway after deadly autoped near Nellis, Harmon
Debris pulled from drain
Crews pulled a chair, a storage bin, construction equipment and other junk from the drain area just beyond the business’s parking lot.
The homeless camp was located not far from the business off Sunset near Decatur. FOX5 previously reported on the camp. A county contractor cleaned up the camp a day after our report, which some businesses applauded.
Repairs still ahead
Connell said debris cleanup and repairs to the broken pipe are expected to continue.
“From what it sounds like, there’s still more debris that needs to be cleaned out. And then, second, they’re going to need to go underneath the street here and repair it. So, that could potentially mean that they’re digging up our parking lot. They’re digging up our neighbors parking lot,” Connell said.
Who will pay for the repairs and the flood damage at the business remains to be seen.
Flood insurance
Connell said the business wants to buy a flood insurance policy but will not be allowed to until the broken pipe is repaired. She said she is concerned about what will happen if storms hit before repairs are complete.
“I would say the biggest lesson is to go over your insurance policies and make sure that you have separate insurance for flood, just in case,” Connell said.
“We are finding out the hard way that we weren’t properly insured, and for the amount we pay per year, we thought we were covered. We thought we were fully covered for any scenario that could happen,” Connell said.
The Nevada State Insurance Division has encouraged people to prepare for possible El Niño flooding this fall and winter. Just this week, the division said standard homeowners, renters and commercial insurance policies do not cover flood damage. The division said several insurers offer private flood policies.
County response
Clark County said damage to the pipe is significant and repairs will take longer.
“Public Works has been working diligently to address this issue and the damage to the pipe is significant and will require lengthier repairs. We will continue to address the issue in the months to come,” the county said.
County officials previously said it would be premature to speculate about liability for storm damage until they have a complete understanding of what caused the flooding. The county also told FOX5 the homeless camp was on railroad property.
It is not clear whether the property ownership will factor into who might be response for flooding damage.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Leave a Reply