The heavy rains started around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday and lasted 30 to 40 minutes, said Washington County sheriff's Lt. Jake Adams.

"It was very sudden and very violent," he said.

Most of the flooding was in the towns of Gunlock and Virgin. However, six homes in the Staples subdivision on Kolob Canyon Road were "substantially damaged if not totaled," Adams said.

The property loss was estimated to be in the millions of dollars, Adams said.

A dozen recreation vehicles in a Virgin park also were evacuated just before the park was overcome by water. One vehicle was lost, Adams said.

No people were reported injured or killed, but several pets, including cats and dogs, are believed to have died during the flooding, Adams said.

At 9 p.m., water was receding in the Gunlock area, though a flood warning remained in effect for the Santa Clara and Virgin rivers, the National Weather Service reported.

"We believe we're through the worst of it," Adams said.

- Jason Bergreen