LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — It was an active weather weekend as storms hit the water hard, leaving major damage behind at Katherine Landing on Lake Mohave.
That’s at the southernmost end of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, minutes from Bullhead City and Laughlin. A dock detached from the land, leaving people in houseboats stranded on the water. A big storm also hit Lake Mead on Sunday afternoon as boaters were on the water.
“We were actually having dinner at the Riverside, and we could see the storm and the lightning … one of my other friends was not feeling well, so he went back to his houseboat,” Paul Garcia recounted, who watched the thunderstorm approach Katherine Landing.
A microburst, or a powerful downdraft of air within a thunderstorm, was confirmed by FOX5 meteorologists and the National Weather Service. It hit Katherine Landing Saturday night. The closest weather station, at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport, recorded a gust of 68 mph at 8:52 p.m. Winds at the marina were likely higher.
“The damage to the dock itself was unbelievable. It ripped apart. The walkway to the houseboats detached, and people were stranded,” Garcia said.
Garcia rushed to help his friend on the houseboat and rescue others.
“I had a lady saying, ‘I need to get my dogs … how am I going to get my dogs?’ So my friend, my good friend, grabbed his pontoon boat, and we were out there late in the evening helping people get to their boats and get stuff off. You have everything on their boat — like refrigerators and food,” Garcia said.
Drone video from Robert Bilbray shows water covering part of the walkway. There is no power now for the houseboats, and crews are working to move them ahead of more forecast turbulent weather.
“We got some big boats out of the way and off the dock so that it wouldn’t be a bigger problem later,” Garcia said.
On Sunday, another monsoon storm hit Lake Mead. A 64 mph gust was recorded near Hemenway Harbor. People caught on the water said swells were three feet high. It felt like being out on a rough open ocean.
“It’s just scary. You’re just trapped. There’s not much you can do. It’s just ride it out,” Garcia said.
FOX5 reached out to the National Park Service late Monday, asking about any rescues that happened during the weekend storms. So far, there has been no response.
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