Thunderstorms, rain hit Nevada, Utah and Southern California

Parts of Nevada, Utah and Southern California Wednesday struggled with the aftermath of storms that dumped a foot or more of rain and left a man missing. A line of slow-moving storms dumped record amounts of rain on Las Vegas, the National Weather Service reported. The precipitation was the highest ever recorded in the city in September, the Las Vegas Sun said. Metro Police said a landscaper operating a front-end loader at the Desert Rose Golf Course in Las Vegas was believed to have been swept away in flood waters that swept through the course, the Sun said. The front-end loader was found in 12 feet of water. At least 50 drivers had to be rescued from cars trapped by flooding in Clark County, the Sun reported. Firefighters advised residents to evacuate one neighborhood because of fear the flooding could set off electrical fires. Rainfall was also heavy in southern Utah, with the National Weather Service reporting on its Web site that one area got 3 feet of rain by early Wednesday morning and others more than a foot. More storms were in Wednesday's forecast. In Santa Clara, Utah, an earthen dam at a retention pond collapsed Tuesday afternoon. Officials said 10 to 15 houses were flooded as water from the pond raced toward the Santa Clara River, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. More than 5 inches of rain fell in the Coachella Valley in Southern California, causing widespread street flooding, The Desert Sun reported. Mari Tarango, a spokeswoman for the Coachella Valley Unified School District, said three schools affected by flooding managed to stay open, doubling up classes when necessary because some areas were underwater.