Downpour causes flash flood on St. George streets


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ST. GEORGE — After just 15 minutes of pouring down rain, several streets in St. George were flooded with water and mud.

Some streets, like Red Cliff Drive, saw as much as three and a half feet of water as cars plowed through the rainfall.

"It was beautiful until 5 o'clock," said Junior Alisa, an equipment operator for the City of St. George. "Then there as a downpour for 15 minutes and it just caused major flooding."

The cause of the flooding goes back to clogged drains. When a huge downpour hits dirt- and tree-dense areas, pine needles trickle down to the drains and cause buildup.

"When the drains are clogged up by needles, it builds up and causes the dirt to slide onto the road and cover up the curbs and plug the drains really bad," Alisa said.

Crews were working to minimize damage, but cleanup won't happen until Tuesday when the rain and waters subside. Lanes were closed off to prevent cars from driving through deep waters, and the city is waiting to see if the sun comes out to dry some of the mud on the roads. They will likely have to have to bring in heavy machinery, like dump trucks, sweepers and hoses, to clean up the mud.

"When it rains, it pours," Alisa said. "It can be nice one minute, but when it rains it just comes down so hard."

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