Silhouette | Utah
Flash floods on Utah’s desert highways pose a serious and often underestimated danger, especially in regions like southern Utah where the terrain is made up of slickrock, canyons, and arid soil that absorbs water poorly.
These floods can sweep across highways with little warning, creating fast-moving currents that are powerful enough to carry vehicles, boulders, and debris. Because desert soil can’t absorb heavy rainfall quickly, the water accumulates and moves rapidly, often forming waves several feet deep.
This was one such occasion where I had to call off a hike in a slot canyon earlier in the day due to a 1% chance of rain. As you can see, that one percent did not stay as such. Driving back from Page, AZ to my campsite, this section of road was completely flooded, causing the area at sunset to look like something out of Stranger Things.
Flash floods on Utah’s desert highways pose a serious and often underestimated danger, especially in regions like southern Utah where the terrain is made up of slickrock, canyons, and arid soil that absorbs water poorly.
These floods can sweep across highways with little warning, creating fast-moving currents that are powerful enough to carry vehicles, boulders, and debris. Because desert soil can’t absorb heavy rainfall quickly, the water accumulates and moves rapidly, often forming waves several feet deep.
This was one such occasion where I had to call off a hike in a slot canyon earlier in the day due to a 1% chance of rain. As you can see, that one percent did not stay as such. Driving back from Page, AZ to my campsite, this section of road was completely flooded, causing the area at sunset to look like something out of Stranger Things.
Flash floods on Utah’s desert highways pose a serious and often underestimated danger, especially in regions like southern Utah where the terrain is made up of slickrock, canyons, and arid soil that absorbs water poorly.
These floods can sweep across highways with little warning, creating fast-moving currents that are powerful enough to carry vehicles, boulders, and debris. Because desert soil can’t absorb heavy rainfall quickly, the water accumulates and moves rapidly, often forming waves several feet deep.
This was one such occasion where I had to call off a hike in a slot canyon earlier in the day due to a 1% chance of rain. As you can see, that one percent did not stay as such. Driving back from Page, AZ to my campsite, this section of road was completely flooded, causing the area at sunset to look like something out of Stranger Things.
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