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SALT LAKE CITY — Thunderstorms across Utah on Thursday brought much-needed rain as well as a sense of relief to some, but flooding to others where streams and streets overflowed.
The storms produced a "moderate" amount of rainfall in some areas, such as Salt Lake City and Granstville, and "light" rainfall in others, the National Weather Service reported. The Salt Lake City station reached over .01 inches of precipitation, the first measurable amount since May 23.
"These types of storms, awesome. It's probably psychologically helping." KSL meteorologist Kevin Eubank said. "But in the big scheme of things, it would take a lot of these storms over many, many, many months to actually get any kind of dent into the drought."
With the rain came severe thunderstorm warnings from the National Weather Service for Tooele County and western Utah County until 10 p.m. The thunderstorm could possibly bring one-inch hail, heavy rain and strong wind gusts.
Ahead of the rainfall, the service issued steps for flash flood safety.
With areas of heavy rainfall possible in some flash flood prone areas of the state on Thursday, remember these tips for keeping yourself and your family safe! #utwx#turnarounddontdrownpic.twitter.com/kDDNiPsj3I
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) June 23, 2021
The weather service advised the public in the case of a flash flood to get to higher ground, avoid driving in the water and stay informed on the weather conditions.
Herriman City issued an urban and small stream flood advisory as the excess water flooded the streets and dry creeks. The city warned residents that while the purpose of the dry creek areas is to divert excess water it can be dangerous for any individual, especially children, to get close to the creeks. A tweet from the city showed a couch being washed away due to the flooding of Midas Creek.
Someone lost their couch due to flooding along Midas Creek! 😲 pic.twitter.com/VpsquUnFlO
— Herriman City (@HerrimanCity) June 24, 2021
Among the dangers of flooding and severe thunderstorms, NWS warned drivers that the first rainfall following a dry spell can cause roads to become slicker quickly. The rainfall mixes with accumulated residue on the roads to make the roads slick; the weather service advised drivers to be aware of their speeds and use appropriate following distance when driving.
The rain and its conditions will likely be short-lived, with hotter temperatures returning by the weekend. Full forecasts for areas across Utah can be found at the KSL Weather Center.
Contributing: Lindsay Aerts, KSL NewsRadio
