Hurricane, Utah: Flash Flood Forces Evacuations as City Declares a Local Emergency

Flash flooding forced evacuations in Hurricane, Utah, on Thursday, October 22, after heavy rain sent a large flood wave down Gould Wash and through neighborhoods in the desert city in the southwest corner of the state.

Hurricane police ordered residents of homes along Gould Wash and the Willow Wind RV Park, at 80 South and 1150 West, to evacuate at once because of active or imminent flooding, local officials said. By late morning, vehicles sat partly submerged in parts of the city and water covered roadways.

Eighty homes and 50 RVs hit

City officials said the flooding had already affected 80 residential homes and 50 recreational vehicles at Willow Wind RV Park. Bridges, culverts, public roadways and electrical power boxes were damaged or destroyed across the city, Hurricane City Emergency Services said.

"Hurricane City crews and emergency response partners have been actively responding to significant flooding and related infrastructure damage throughout the community," the city emergency services office said in a press release. Mayor Clark Fawcett issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency on Thursday so the city could respond to the flooding and assess the damage.

"Mud and debris covering roadways, along with potential impacts to utility infrastructure, have created public safety concerns and may disrupt essential services," the office said.

Shelter, medical staging and power cuts

An emergency shelter opened at the LDS Stake Center at 272 South 700 West, and medical personnel were staged at the Coral Cliffs movie theater at 835 West State Street for responders and displaced residents, local reports said. Officials cut electricity to the Pecan Meadow townhomes, the Pecan Valley townhomes and Willow Wind RV Park, KUTV reporting carried by KJZZ said, and no restoration time was given.

Hurricane received more than an inch of rain in 12 hours, an unusually heavy amount for the dry region, according to the FOX Forecast Center. The National Weather Service said heavy, localized rain of 1 to 2 inches in the Gould Wash headwaters produced the flood wave that moved downstream through the city. Thunderstorms dumped 1 to 2 inches of rain across Washington County, and flash flood warnings covered Hurricane, La Verkin and Virgin on Thursday afternoon.

A rare week of Southwest storms

The flooding came as severe storms swept the region from Wednesday. A top wind gust of 72 mph was recorded in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday, when Arizona received its first Tornado Watch in 16 years. New Mexico received its first Tornado Watch in 28 years on Thursday. A tornado warned storm moved through Overgaard, about 150 miles northeast of Phoenix, around 7 p.m. on Thursday, and the Navajo County Sheriff's Office said it caused minor injuries and significant damage, displacing people from their homes. Farther north, the Moenkopi Wash near Tuba City rose above 32 feet on Wednesday evening, nearly 3 feet above its previous record height.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on social media: "We are closely monitoring the flash flooding in Hurricane. Our hearts are with the families whose homes and livelihoods have been impacted. Please follow all evacuation orders and local emergency guidance."

Emergency officials urged residents to stay alert, use caution around flooded areas, follow road closures and detours, and stay out of flooded roadways, where water, mud and debris can hide damage.