A Flash Flood Warning is in effect right now for Washington, Kane, and Garfield Counties in Utah. The warning was issued by the National Weather Service Salt Lake City, Utah office on August 13, 2026 at 3:56 PM MDT and remains active until 6:15 PM MDT on August 13, 2026. Flooding is occurring or is imminent across the affected area. If you are in any of these three counties, this is not a watch or an advisory. It is a warning, meaning dangerous conditions are either already present or developing right now.
Your county's real disaster history, what to do first, and what to keep at home. Free, and it shows up right here.
🔒 We never sell your email. Unsubscribe in one click.
What NWS Is Directing You to Do Right Now
The National Weather Service is unambiguous in its language for this event: move to higher ground now. The agency’s official instruction is to act quickly to protect your life. This is not a situation to monitor from a low-lying area or a streamside campsite while waiting to see how conditions develop.
The NWS Salt Lake City office specifically warns that river banks and culverts can become unstable and unsafe. Even structures and terrain that appear solid under normal conditions can fail rapidly when floodwater is moving through them. The instruction is direct: stay away or be swept away.
If you are camping or hiking in Washington, Kane, or Garfield County, the National Weather Service is explicitly calling out your situation: avoid streams or creeks. Flash flooding moves fast and can arrive with little visible warning in areas that are not directly under a rain event. A thunderstorm miles upstream can send a wall of water down a dry-looking canyon. Knowing where you are relative to any drainage, wash, stream, or creek is a matter of survival right now, not a general precaution for later.
The agency also notes that flooding is occurring or is imminent, which means there is no buffer period to pack up slowly, finish a meal, or wait for a signal. If you are near water in the affected counties before 6:15 PM MDT on August 13, the directive is to leave the area and gain elevation as fast as safely possible.
Why Southern Utah and Why This Time of Year
Southern Utah’s canyon country, which spans much of the terrain covered by Washington, Kane, and Garfield Counties, is particularly vulnerable to flash flooding during the late-summer monsoon season. The region’s slickrock and hardpan soil absorb very little water, which means rainfall funnels rapidly into narrow drainages and can intensify dramatically within minutes. This same landscape draws large numbers of hikers and campers to slot canyons and backcountry areas, many of which sit directly in the path of flood runoff. At usriskradar.com, our evergreen preparedness guidance for the desert Southwest consistently emphasizes one point that applies directly here: your location relative to a drainage matters more than what the sky looks like directly above you. A clear blue sky overhead does not mean a slot canyon below you is safe. Building the habit of checking active NWS alerts before entering any canyon or wash, and identifying an exit route to higher ground before you need one, is the core of staying safe in this region during monsoon season.
Monitor the National Weather Service at weather.gov for updates to this warning before 6:15 PM MDT on August 13, 2026. Conditions and expiration times can change. If the warning is extended or a new one is issued, treat it with the same urgency as this one.
For the fundamentals that apply beyond this specific alert, see our Flood Preparedness guide.
Source: National Weather Service (NWS Salt Lake City UT). Active alert data retrieved 2026-08-13 22:00 UTC via api.weather.gov.
- Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets (50ct) $8-12
- LifeStraw Personal Water Filter $15-20
- Quick Dam Grab & Go Flood Kit – 5x 5ft Barriers & 10x 2ft Bags $20-30
