Utah, 1997

Flash Flood in Utah, September 4, 1997

September 4, 1997 · NWS SLC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A flash flood swept through the Grand Wash in Capitol Reef NP. A park ranger attempting to evacuate Scenic Drive had his pick-up swept into Grand Wash.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.

A flash flood swept through the Grand Wash in Capitol Reef NP. A park ranger attempting to evacuate Scenic Drive had his pick-up swept into Grand Wash. The vehicle was completely submerged and carried 1/2 mile downstream. The ranger narrowly escaped drowning by rolling down his window and jumping to shore.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Wayne

When
September 4, 2:40 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Wayne County, 2 mi S of Fruita
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.324, -110.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Utah in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, September 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5623794.