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The National Weather Service warned Utahns to be cautious of flooding Wednesday, as an estimated 2 inches of rainfall became 18-inch pools of water in some areas, and thunder and lightning rocked the sky.
The warning was issued through 1:30 a.m. Thursday for northern Salt Lake County and parts of Davis County, and Salt Lake dispatchers noted that flooding had been reported all over the city.
The sudden storm provided an intense show of lightning strikes and booming thunder late Wednesday, making for good viewing from windows but dangerous conditions outside. The weather service's alert noted that it's difficult to recognize the dangers of flooding at night, and warned drivers not to attempt to traverse roadways covered by water.
At the intersection of 600 South and 400 West, the water was 18 inches deep close to midnight; according to dispatch, the areas around 800 South and State Street, and 600 North and 400 West were also especially affected.
NWS meteorologist Monica Traphagan said a flash-flood warning is something the service does "very rarely," but that the volume of reports of flooding and of people being stranded warranted an alert to make people aware of the risks.
A storm of this intensity is unusual, she said, but the real danger in this case is where it strengthened — directly over Salt Lake County.
"Some areas can handle water better than others," she said. While the effects of a similar storm in a more remote area might go unnoticed, this one hit "right over a populated area, which are prone to flooding."
According to radar estimates, 2 inches of rain had fallen late Wednesday, but an exact amount was not yet known.
The Tribune will update this story as more information is available.
—Reporter Erin Alberty contributed to this story