Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MOAB — Forest managers are reminding Utahns to be careful around wildfire burn scars as monsoonal rain storms can create dangerous flash floods in fire areas.
The Pack Creek Fire area in the La Sal Mountains, southeast of Moab, experienced flash flooding on Sunday, according to a news release from the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The fast-moving flood waters carried large branches and other debris through the Pack Creek drainage.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City has issued flash flood watches or warnings for southern Utah almost every day for the past week, according to the release.
On Monday, Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson-Edwards declared a state of emergency in the city due to storms that passed through the area and created damaging floods. The city got over 2 inches of rain in a short time period, which led to flooding in basements, apartments and other areas.
Thunderstorms are in the forecast again for Tuesday afternoon and evening across Utah, according to KSL meteorologist Brett Benson. Winds are shifting in Utah, which has potential to bring wet weather further north in the state and clear out some of the wildfire smoke, Benson said. People should expect "increasingly active" Tuesday afternoon weather, he added.
The full weather forecast is available at ksl.com/weather.
Visitors to Utah's national forests and other recreational lands are reminded to pay close attention to weather reports and plan ahead. People should also be familiar with areas they plan to visit and make sure there is an escape route if flash floods take place. Always tell someone else your itinerary.
Additionally, people recreating in areas where flash floods can occur should know that deadly flood waters can travel many miles from where they began, and clear skies don't always mean dry terrain, the forest service said. Don't enter slot canyons or rugged terrain during wet or stormy weather, and don't camp next to streams, washes or other drainages if there is a threat of flooding. Don't try to cross flood waters in cars or on foot.
"Our No. 1 priority for visitors to the forest is safety," Manti-La Sal National Forest supervisor Ryan Nehl said in the release. "We cannot stress enough the importance of recreating responsibly and paying attention to the environment around you."
