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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Heavy rains pummeling southern Nevada threatened to overwhelm a dam near the small town of Moapa, forced the evacuation of an Indian reservation and sent cars floating off Interstate 15.
Four inches of rain fell in Moapa in a two-hour period Monday afternoon, sending the Virgin River to two feet below the 11-foot flood stage mark.
Clark County Regional Flood Control District spokeswoman Erin Neff said the waters of the Muddy River, which feeds the Virgin River, were close to breaching a dam that protects nearby homes.
She called it "a life-threatening emergency situation."
No serious injuries were reported by Monday afternoon, although Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Loy Hixson said some vehicles on I-15 near Moapa were washed off the road.
Also in the Moapa area, segments of State Route 168 and Interstate 15 were closed.
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