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Flash flood warnings hit southern Utah, including Zion National Park; scary visuals emerge
Two flash flood warnings were issued Monday morning, September 31, for parts of southern Utah, including Zion National Park and the Escalante River.
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Two flash flood warnings were issued Monday morning, September 31, for parts of southern Utah, including Zion National Park and the Escalante River. The warnings came after thunderstorms brought heavy rain to the region.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a flash flood warning at 11:16 a.m. for west-central Kane County and east-central Washington County, which remains in effect until 2:15 p.m.
Flash Flood warnings cover the SR-9 corridor near Zion and much of southern and central Utah through Monday evening. There is a rare moderate excessive rainfall risk in place due to intense storms.
Videos emerge
Deep Dive
Scary visuals have emerged on X after the flood warnings were issued.
“Flash flooding in Zion National Park! Heavy showers across the state today. Best to stay indoors in Central and Southern Utah,” one video is captioned.
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ABC4 News shared another video, writing, “Right next to Zion National Park, the Town of Springdale says it “experienced a significant rainstorm with extensive street flooding.” It asked those in the area to be patient and careful as crews in the area work to clear “abundant” debris from the roads.”
NWS Salt Lake City wrote on X, “Heavy rain just moved through the SR-9 corridor from Springville/Rockville to @ZionNPS and is resulting in high flows as seen in this webcam. A Flash Flood Warning remains in effect in this area. Reminder: never drive through flooded roadways. Turn around, don't drown!”
These flash flood warnings come after two people have died and about 15 remain missing after the weekend’s flash flood at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Video footage taken by hikers show muddy water rushing by a trail and under footbridges, and logs and other debris floating down swollen rivers.
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The National Park Service stated that the floods hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area on Saturday, August 29, adding that it was working with Arizona authorities to evacuate people and account for missing individuals.
The flash flood began about 2:30 pm on Saturday. It was caused by rainfall on the Kaibab Plateau.
