Southern Nevada’s monsoon storms can drop more than an inch of rain in under an hour. In 1999, 2022 and again during Tropical Storm Hilary’s remnants in 2023, water moved through streets and into homes across the Las Vegas Valley. Often a single home has two kinds of water damage.
Rain through the roof or walls
When wind lifts tile, tears flashing or drives rain past windows and stucco, water that enters through those openings is typically covered under a homeowners policy, subject to its terms.
Water from outside, at ground level
Water flowing across the yard and under doors is usually treated as flood and excluded from homeowners policies. Flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood policy covers it if you have one.
Documenting the difference
- Photograph roof and wall openings and ceiling stains from above.
- Mark water lines on walls with tape and photograph them.
- Note which rooms were wet from above and which from the floor.
- Keep mitigation logs that show moisture readings by room.
That room-by-room record lets an appraisal panel value the covered portion clearly, while coverage questions stay with the insurer and, if needed, the courts.