Nevada
Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the lower 48. Las Vegas regularly exceeds 115 degrees F. Flash floods turn dry washes into rivers. And the Great Basin rangeland burns on a scale most people never see. The desert demands respect.
Enter your Nevada ZIP for live alerts, forecasts, and county-specific data.
Know your region
Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City. Summer temperatures exceed 115 degrees F. Flash floods turn the city's wash system into raging channels. The 2022 floods inundated casinos and neighborhoods. Nighttime temperatures stay above 90 degrees F for weeks.
Primary hazards: extreme heat, flash flooding, earthquakes, dust storms
Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Lake Tahoe. Active faults run beneath the metro. The 2008 Wells earthquake (M6.0) caused significant damage. Sierra storms dump heavy snow on mountain passes. Wildfire risk in the Sierra foothills is high.
Primary hazards: earthquakes, wildfire, winter storms, flooding
Elko, Winnemucca, Ely, the vast rangeland. Invasive cheatgrass has transformed the fire regime. The 2018 Martin Fire burned 435,000 acres. Summer flash floods in remote canyons catch hikers off guard. Winter cold in the high desert is severe.
Primary hazards: rangeland fire, flash floods, winter cold, drought
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to NV.
Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the lower 48. The 2008 Wells earthquake (M6.0) caused significant damage. The Reno-Carson City area sits near active faults. The Walker Lane fault system is capable of large earthquakes.
Read the earthquakes guide →
Las Vegas regularly exceeds 115 degrees F. Heat-related deaths in Clark County have increased sharply. Nighttime temperatures stay above 90 degrees F, preventing the body from recovering. Reliable cooling is essential.
Read the extreme heat guide →
Invasive cheatgrass has transformed Nevada's fire regime. The 2018 Martin Fire burned 435,000 acres. Rangeland fires burn fast and hot across hundreds of thousands of acres. The Sierra foothills near Reno face forest fire risk.
Read the rangeland fire guide →
Monsoon-type thunderstorms produce flash floods that turn dry washes into raging channels. Las Vegas experienced devastating flash floods in 2022. The desert terrain cannot absorb heavy rain.
Read the flash flooding guide →
Sierra storms close mountain passes for days. The Reno area receives significant snowfall. High-desert communities experience extreme cold. I-80 over Donner Summit closes during major storms.
Read the winter storms guide →
Nevada resources
Nevada Division of Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response and manages the state's hazard mitigation programs.
University of Nevada Reno seismic monitoring. Real-time earthquake data, fault maps, and seismic hazard assessments for the state.
Southern Nevada forecasts. Excessive heat warnings, flash flood advisories, and dust storm alerts for the Las Vegas Valley.
Real-time road conditions, pass closures, dust storm alerts, and flooding-related road closures.
The invisible hazard
What makes Las Vegas heat lethal is not the daytime high. It is the nighttime low. During the worst heat events, overnight temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley stay above 90 degrees F. The concrete and asphalt absorb heat all day and radiate it all night. The body cannot recover.
Heat deaths in Clark County have increased every year. Many victims are found outdoors. Some are found in homes where the air conditioning failed. The people most at risk are those who work outside, those without reliable cooling, and those who live alone with no one to check on them.
For every Nevada household, heat preparedness is not about surviving an afternoon. It is about sustained exposure over days and weeks. Keep your AC maintained. Know the nearest cooling center. Stock water in your vehicle and your home. Check on neighbors who live alone. And understand that when the nighttime low is 95 degrees, the danger does not end at sunset.