Las Vegas has a hidden world where hundreds live in 600 miles of flood tunnels

Drainage tunnel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Image Credit: Voice of America Las Vegas is known for its bright casinos, busy streets and round-the-clock entertainment, but beneath the city lies a very different world. Hundreds of people have made homes inside a vast network of flood-control tunnels built to move water during heavy rainfall. The tunnels stretch for about 600 miles beneath the valley, including areas close to major resorts. For people without stable housing, these dark concrete passages have become places to sleep, cook and build small communities, even though the same tunnels can quickly become life-threatening when heavy rain arrives.How hundreds of people came to live in Las Vegas flood tunnelsThe underground network was never designed as housing. Deseret News reported that Las Vegas was built in a desert where sudden downpours can cause flash floods, leading to the construction of hundreds of miles of tunnels to collect and redirect water. Some passages are only four or five feet high, while others are large enough for people to stand comfortably. They run through parts of the city near well-known resorts, including Caesars Palace, the Rio, the Flamingo and the Orleans.T...