SOUTHERN UTAH — From thunderstorms and lightning strikes to downpours, pummeling hail and up to 55 mph wind gusts, the normally quiet Southern Utah skies brought the action and put on a loud performance Thursday morning.

Several rounds of heavy rainfall associated with widespread showers and strong scattered thunderstorms have rolled in and have been forecast in Southern Utah through Thursday evening.
During Thursday morning’s thunderous event, a lightning strike hit the St. George Tabernacle causing the historic building to catch fire.
The National Weather Service issued a significant weather advisory for parts of Southern Utah due to penny-to-nickel-size hail and wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph. Torrential rainfall occurring with this storm prompted the weather service to also issue several flash flood warnings.
Read more: Nickel size hail and 55 mph wind gusts yield significant weather advisory for Southern Utah

During any flood emergency, stay tuned to your NOAA weather radio, commercial radio or television, follow St. George News at STGnews.com and St. George News Facebook for weather alerts and updates relevant to Southern Utah. Information from the National Weather Service and disaster and emergency services may save your life.
St. George News invites readers to submit photos of the weather event to [email protected].
Enjoy our St. George News reader-submitted gallery – and stay safe out there.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Hail collected in LaVerkin City during a thunderstorm in Southern Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Ben-Amy Curtis, St. George News

Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Southern Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Jamie Albrecht, St. George News

Photo of lightning strike taken in the Washington Fields area during a thunderstorm in Southern Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Lynette Probst, St. George News

Anasazi Ridge/Santa Clara River Reserve area struck by lightning, Washington County, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Waterfall in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Waterfall in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Waterfall in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Waterfall in Snow Canyon State Park, Washington County, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Crews respond to a lightning-caused fire at the historic St. George Tabernacle Thursday morning, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Jake Carlen, St. George News

Crews respond to a lightning-caused fire at the historic St. George Tabernacle Thursday morning, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Storm photo taken in Desert Hills looking toward Webb Hill, which houses numerous radio and television tower facilities that serve the local area, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News

Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Southern Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Brittney Parks, St. George News

Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Southern Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Aleya Jensen, St. George News

Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Southern Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Tayah Monroe, St. George News

Storm photo taken in Desert Hills looking toward Webb Hill, which houses numerous radio and television tower facilities that serve the local area, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News

Storm photo taken in Desert Hills looking toward Webb Hill, which houses numerous radio and television tower facilities that serve the local area, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News

Derrick Capps said he captured this photo in the south fields of Hurricane just before 10 a.m. Thursday, Hurricane, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Derrick Capps, St. George News

An area in front of Painters Sun Country Mitsubishi, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Spencer Harmon, St. George News

An area in front of Painters Sun Country Mitsubishi, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Spencer Harmon, St. George News

An area in front of Painters Sun Country Mitsubishi, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Spencer Harmon, St. George News

An area in front of Painters Sun Country Mitsubishi, St. George, Utah, Sept. 14, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Spencer Harmon, St. George News
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Good write-up! Like the way St. George News always does a thorough write-up and includes pictures and all of the facts.
Thanks for the photos, especially of the waterfalls in Snow Canyon! They were beautiful. I hiked up the canyon late this afternoon. A little ways about Upper Galoot, I the gurgling of water. I walked about 20 feet east of the roadway and saw a stream working its way downhill. Another little treat from Snow Canyon.
Great pictures!
But only in SoUtah will you find that an average thunderstorm makes it to the news.