Officials warn of flash flooding in Zion National Park

Stock image, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Sustained rain Thursday evening through Friday morning has drenched Southern Utah, and the deluge has prompted warnings of flash flooding in the region’s most popular outdoor recreation destination.

Map shows region subject to flash flooding in eastern Washington County. Radar image generated at 10:43 a.m. MDT, March 13, 2022 | Image courtesy of the National Weather Service, St. George News

The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City has issued a flash flood warning for east-central Washington County, specifically for eastern portions of Zion National Park.

At 9:38 a.m., park rangers reported flash flooding across eastern portions of park, including Echo, Hidden and Refrigerator canyons. Up to 1 inch of rain has fallen over the last 12 hours, and flash flooding is already occurring.

In addition to Zion National Park, Springdale is expected to experience flooding.

An additional quarter-inch of rainfall is expected over a period of several hours through midday Friday.

Flash flooding precautions

According to the National Weather Service, during heavy rains, it is important to know where you are relative to streams, rivers or creeks which can become killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or creeks.

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