Local brief
Civil Emergency Message: Goblin Valley and San Rafael Swell, Emery County, UT — possible flash flooding, avoid canyons and washes until 4:41 p.m. PDT Tuesday
The Emery County Sheriff's Office issued a new Wireless Emergency Alert at 4:41 a.m. PDT Tuesday, Oct. 13, warning of possible flash flooding in Goblin Valley and the San Rafael Swell. Avoid canyons, washes, slick rock and slot canyons until 4:41 p.m. PDT.
Get prepared: https://noticenearby.com/prepare
Where: The Emery County Sheriff's Office Wireless Emergency Alert covers the San Rafael Swell in Emery County, Utah, including Goblin Valley and slick-rock and slot-canyon terrain.
What: At 4:41 a.m. PDT (5:41 a.m. MDT) Tuesday, Oct. 13, the sheriff sent a Civil Emergency Message (Wireless Emergency Alert) warning of possible flash flooding from heavy rainfall. The short WEA text: "POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING IN THE GOBLIN VALLEY AND SAN RAFAEL AREA." The longer text: "POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN SLICK ROCK AND SLOT CANYON AREAS. AVOID CANYONS WASHES AND LOW LYING TERRAIN IN THE GOBLIN VALLEY AND SAN RAFAEL AREA." This is a new alert for Tuesday; the sheriff sent a similar alert on Monday, Oct. 12.
Until: The alert is in effect until 4:41 p.m. PDT (5:41 p.m. MDT) Tuesday, Oct. 13, unless the sheriff cancels or replaces it sooner.
What to do: Stay out of canyons, washes, slot canyons and other low ground in the Goblin Valley and San Rafael Swell area. Do not drive or hike into flooded roads or washes. If water is rising where you are, move to higher ground now. Turn around, don't drown. For emergencies, call 9-1-1.
Source: Emery County Sheriff's Office via IPAWS/WEA (https://apps.fema.gov/IPAWSOPEN_EAS_SERVICE/rest/public/recent/2026-10-12T11:43:54Z#AS-UT-7e287047-9da8-4f51-b760-cf16b34c5034). Checked against the CAP alert AS-UT-7e287047-9da8-4f51-b760-cf16b34c5034 at about 4:46 a.m. PDT Tuesday, Oct. 13. As of that check, the National Weather Service had no flood watch or warning for Emery County on api.weather.gov; this is a sheriff public-safety alert.
Source: the public notice on this register NN-ENV-ut-emery-civil-emergency-message-2026-10- · Emery County Sheriff's Office (IPAWS/WEA).
This is a Notice Nearby local brief — an in-house explainer written from a government-posted notice on this register. It is not official minutes, not a newspaper story, and not Legal Publication.