Key facts
- Alert
- Flash Flood Warning (severe)
- Issued by
- National Weather Service, Salt Lake City UT
- Areas
- Washington, UT
- Places
- Fort Pearce Wash
- In effect
- until 7:45 PM MDT, Oct 21, 2026
- Damage threat
- Considerable
What the National Weather Service says
“Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life.”
NWS Salt Lake City UT, Flash Flood Warning, 6:59 PM MDT Oct 21, 2026 · official alert
“Stay away or be swept away. River banks and culverts can become unstable and unsafe.”
NWS Salt Lake City UT, Flash Flood Warning, 6:59 PM MDT Oct 21, 2026 · official alert
“Life threatening flash flooding of normally dry washes...”
NWS Salt Lake City UT, Flash Flood Warning, 6:59 PM MDT Oct 21, 2026 · official alert
What to do
Move to higher ground now. If you are in or near Fort Pearce Wash or other normally dry washes, leave the area right away. Do not wait to see the water arrive.
Stay away from the wash and from river banks and culverts. They can become unstable and unsafe, and the water can sweep you off your feet.
Do not drive around barricades or into flooded roads. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 1 foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
Stay alert until the warning ends at 7:45 PM MDT and follow updates from the National Weather Service.
Context
Washington County has 64 flood-insurance claims on record with FEMA, from 1978 to 2026 (as of 2026-09-09). These counts cover only insured properties, so they understate how often flooding has occurred.
FEMA has made two flood-related disaster declarations for the county: number 4088 in November 2012 for severe storm and flooding, and number 1955 in February 2011 for a severe winter storm and flooding.
Updates
- The flash flood warning expired at 7:45 PM MDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the flash flood warning; it remains in effect until 7:45 PM MDT.
- NWS Salt Lake City UT issued the flash flood warning until 7:45 PM MDT.
History here
Washington County: 64 flood insurance claims in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records since 1978, most recent 2026.
Washington County: recent federal disaster declarations
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Questions
- Is there a flash flood warning in Washington County, Utah?
- Yes. The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a Flash Flood Warning for southern Washington County at 4:55 PM MDT. It runs until 7:45 PM MDT.
- What is happening on Fort Pearce Wash?
- A USGS gage on Fort Pearce Wash reported a rise of roughly 5 feet from runoff after earlier thunderstorms. The flood wave will continue downstream to its confluence with the Virgin River.
- How serious is this flash flood warning?
- The National Weather Service describes it as life-threatening flash flooding, and flash flooding is already occurring. Officials say to move to higher ground now.
Sources
- NWS Salt Lake City UT: Flash Flood Warning, Oct 21, 2026 weather.gov
- FEMA OpenFEMA: NFIP claims and disaster declarations fema.gov
How this page is made. The Herebeat Hazard Desk builds event pages from official U.S. government data (National Weather Service, USGS, FEMA). The text is written with AI from that data; every number and quote is checked against the official source automatically before publishing, and the page is updated when the agency updates the event. The official source is always the reference. Spotted a mistake? info@herebeat.app. About the Hazard Desk.