The emergence of a community of tunnel-dwellers living under the gambling mecca of Las Vegas is the latest indication of how hard the recession is hitting the US.
UK tabloid The Sun has spoken to several residents of the flood tunnels, which are rarely in operation thanks to Nevada's arid climate.
One man, known only as Jamie, told the paper he had worked in building and construction but was literally forced underground a few months ago when jobs dried up.
He turned to scavenging for food vouchers and leftover poker machine winnings like many of his neighbours, but even the competition there has become more intense as the economic situation worsens.
"I 'credit hustle' but there are lots more people doing it these days," he was quoted as saying.
"Hundreds and hundreds — you see little old ladies doing it."
Several couples are part of the community, with some even managing to build makeshift kitchens and showers alongside bedrooms and living areas.
Steven Dommermuth worked on the front desk of a hotel before losing his job to a heroin addiction and shares a relatively elaborate space beneath the famous Caesar's Palace casino with his girlfriend Kathryn.
They have salvaged furniture from construction sites but are forced to prop their belongings up on crates to keep them away from the damp and also the venomous spiders that infest the tunnel network.
"Our bed came from a skip outside an apartment complex … one man's junk is another man's gold," he was quoted as saying.
"We get the stuff late at night so people don't see us because it's kind of embarrassing."
Social workers say 20 people have drowned over the past 20 years in flash flooding caused by rare rains — and they expect the death toll to increase as the tunnels become more crowded.
24 Sep 2009A city built from DRUG MONEY supported by the U.S government.
A clear example of how crime gangs control the economy.
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