Afternoon storm drenches St. George; Sunset Boulevard reopens after downpour

Written by Alysha Lundgren
August 11, 2022

ST. GEORGE — Be safe out there, St. George.

Storm drain on 1400 West diverts water during Thursday afternoon’s rainstorm, Aug. 11, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

That was the advice from St. George Police officer Tiffany Mitchell on a Facebook video recorded shortly after a  strong storm cell moved quickly through St. George between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m. Thursday.

Heavy rain caused local flooding and talk of the possibility of a tornado touchdown.

Mitchell’s video shows flooding that stretches for several hundred feet on Sunset Boulevard, near Tuweap Drive. She told St. George News that the nearby drains were flooded with debris.

“We have a couple of cars that have been damaged because they’ve driven through it,” Mitchell said. “So let’s not do that. Let’s not drive through it. Remember, we don’t get a ton of rain, so our roads are slicker. It takes a little bit longer to stop, to slow down.

“So give yourself a little bit more space between yourself and that car in front of you. Go under the speed limit. Turn your headlights on. Turn your wiper blades on. Just be safe out there, St. George.”

By 5:40 p.m., St. George city crews had cleared Sunset Boulevard and traffic had resumed after being diverted for approximately 30 minutes.

The National Weather Service had been issuing flood watches and warnings, as well as warnings for the possibility of strong thunderstorms, throughout the afternoon for Washington, Iron, Beaver, Kane, Garfield and Millard counties as powerful cells moved southwest to northeast.

St. George News reporter Jessi Bang reported at 4:31 p.m. heavy rain and strong winds in town, and St. George News reporter Chris Reed reported at 4:45 p.m. from the intersection of Bluff Street and Sunset Boulevard that heavy rain was falling.

By 4:51 p.m., near the intersection of 1400 West and Sunset, minor flooding had started as heavy rains pounded the neighborhood.

Several Washington County Community Watch Facebook page users also provided several images of what appeared to be either a funnel cloud or a large dust devil; however, as of 6:10 p.m., the National Weather Service had not confirmed its authenticity.

 

St. George News evening editor VIN CAPPIELLO contributed to this report

Updated Aug. 11 7 p.m.: Adds storm drain and road diversion details.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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