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SALT LAKE CITY — As a Pacific storm arrived in Utah Saturday, heavy rainfall led to flooding in various parts of the state and forced transportation officials to close roads.
Flash flood warnings were issued throughout Utah, and flooding was reported in Carbon County, including some homes in Helper.
Homes and cars in the Pilling Trailer Court were submerged and people had to be evacuated, the Price Sun Advocate reported. The water came up from the Price River and swamped the park, and some of the residents had to be rescued by boat, the paper said.
A shelter was set up to take in those affected.
Flood warnings were also issued in Washington County, where at one point the Santa Clara River ran through the middle of the South Gate Golf Course.
The river is a tributary that dumps into the Virgin River, about 300 yards downstream. But thanks to heavy rain, the Santa Clara exceeded its banks and washed out several sections of the golf course, which was forced to close.
Earlier in the day, Zion National Park officials tweeted that all roads running through the park were shut down because of flooding. Most were reopened by 5 p.m., but state Route 9 — the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway — remained closed until 7 p.m. as crews worked to repair a section of the road.
A section of I-15 and other roads in Washington County closed until waters receded.
The storms also brought cooler temperatures and snow reported at the 10,000 foot level.
By early evening, rainfall totals had hit nearly 1.5 inches in Salt Lake City, more than 1.5 inches in Ivins and more than 2 inches in parts of the central and southern Utah mountains.
The amount of rain recorded at the Salt Lake International Airport, 1.21 inches by early evening, set a new record for Sept. 27. The most rain recorded for that date had been .84 inches, in 1982.
More than 1.7 inches of rain had fallen in Zion National Park, sending rocks and mud onto sections of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, stopping traffic for several hours earlier in the day.
The wet weather is expected to continue Sunday throughout much of the state and last into Monday.
Contributing: Kyle Spencer
