Flash Flood — Washington, Utah

2022-08-19 · near Zion Lodge, Washington, Utah

Event narrative

Flows increased on the North Fork of the Virgin River in Zion National Park. The trail became impassable near the mouth of The Narrows. Flood waters in The Narrows swept some hikers off their feet and isolated others on higher ground. Two people were swept downstream. One was swept a couple of hundred yards and found. The individual survived with minor injuries. The other was reported as missing to Zion National Park officials later that evening, and was found deceased the following Monday. The North Fork Virgin - Springdale river gauge, which is downstream from The Narrows, rose from approximately 75 cfs to 735 cfs, corresponding to a rise of slightly over 2 feet in height.

Wider weather episode

Thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding over several days, which included Zion National Park.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.2856, -112.9459)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1054129. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.