Flash Flood Warning: Kane County, UT — flooding now or soon, until 6:15 p.m. MDT Sunday, Oct. 11

What is happening: National Park Service officials reported thunderstorms with heavy rain and flash flooding in the Zion National Park area at 2:59 p.m. MDT Sunday (1:59 p.m. PDT). At 3:19 p.m. MDT (2:19 p.m. PDT), radar and rain gauges showed more heavy rain over the Escalante River area in the northeast of the county. Water runs off fast from the steep rock into canyons, washes and roads. The National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City says flash flooding is happening now or will start soon. NWS calls this life-threatening flash flooding. Between 0.5 and 1.25 inches of rain have fallen.

Where: The warning covers west-central Kane County in southern Utah, next to Zion National Park (the same warning covers east-central Washington County, including Zion National Park, Springdale and Rockville); and northeastern Kane County, including the Escalante River and the slot canyons along Hole-in-the-Rock Road (the same warning covers south-central Garfield County). Places NWS named include the Escalante River, the slot canyons along Hole-in-the-Rock Road, Zion National Park, Springdale and Rockville.

Until when: The warning lasts until 6:15 p.m. MDT Sunday, Oct. 11 (5:15 p.m. PDT). NWS has 2 warnings here; the last one ends at that time. One covering the Escalante River and the slot canyons along Hole-in-the-Rock Road runs until 6:15 p.m. MDT Sunday, Oct. 11 (5:15 p.m. PDT). One covering Zion National Park, Springdale, Rockville runs until 6 p.m. MDT Sunday, Oct. 11 (5 p.m. PDT). NWS can extend it or end it early, so check for updates.

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Zion and slot canyons: Narrow canyons and creek beds in and around Zion National Park, such as the Narrows and other slot canyons, can fill with fast water in minutes. Do not enter slot canyons or hike in creek beds now. If you are already in one, climb to high ground and wait. Follow park rangers and check https://www.nps.gov/zion for closures.

Escalante slot canyons: NWS names the Escalante River and the slot canyons along Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Do not enter slot canyons or hike in creek beds or dry washes now; water can arrive in minutes from rain miles away. If you are already in one, climb to high ground and wait. Do not drive Hole-in-the-Rock Road or Utah Route 12 through running water.

What to do: Turn around, don't drown. Never drive or walk into floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one to two feet can carry away a car. Stay away from creeks, streams, washes, rivers and low roads. Do not drive around barricades. If water starts rising near you, go to higher ground right away. Flooded roads are hard to see in the dark.

Watch the video: 42-second Escalante flash flood warning Short: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6PTrhC2-gUY

Stay informed: Check https://www.weather.gov/slc/ for the latest from the National Weather Service, and follow the Utah Division of Emergency Management (https://dem.utah.gov), Washington County Emergency Services and Kane County Emergency Management, and check Zion National Park alerts and closures at https://www.nps.gov/zion. Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep it charged.

Find shelters and supplies: https://zost.app/pages/ut/kane

Get prepared: https://noticenearby.com/prepare

Sources: National Weather Service Salt Lake City Flash Flood Warning via api.weather.gov (https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.d6ce31c712ff0ed5c3f5f98777da84ce46c65946.001.1); National Weather Service Salt Lake City Flash Flood Warning via api.weather.gov (https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8e2944d3ea8e200b6030a23df48716b466be4d81.001.1). Updated 2:42 p.m. PDT Sunday, Oct. 11. Notice Nearby wrote this brief in its own words. More Kane County notices: https://noticenearby.com/ut/kane