The National Weather Service released major flood warnings across most of Utah and parts of Arizona and Colorado over the weekend of August 16, predicting major rainfall leading to flash floods. Travelers were warned to stay away from slot canyons and parts of local national parks.
Left to right:
Monsoon rains caused severe flooding in Hurricane, Utah, demonstrated by this bus in the Hurricane High School parking lot. Photo by Kim Collins.
Severe flooding caused mud to cover the road along Highway 389, as well as damaging a section of power line. Traffic was at a halt while crews worked to clear the mud, eventually opening one lane of travel and directing traffic through for hours. Photos by Brooke Knighton.
Monsoon rains over the weekend confirmed the warnings, with flooding on the Arizona strip causing major traffic pileups on the route from Kanab and Fredonia to St. George. In addition to high water moving quickly over the road, the floods also washed mud and debris into the path of traffic. Saturday, August 17, saw heavy traffic backups as law enforcement and roads authorities worked to clear mud pileup and blockage. For large portions of the day, traffic was confined to a single lane on certain parts of Highways 389 and 59.
Major flooding occurred in some cities like St. George and Hurricane. There were also reports of search and rescue operations in some of the National Parks and popular hiking sites. Public safety officials continue to warn travelers and hikers to keep an eye on the weather and to be cautious when making plans, and to avoid slot canyons on cloudy days.
