Utah Highway Patrol troopers have closed a 3-mile section of U.S. 89 in Utah County that was flooded Friday evening with mud and large debris.
The closure is between Birdseye and Thistle, a ghost town that was destroyed by a mudslide in 1983. UHP tweeted that the roadway is covered with rocks and mud more than 2 feet high, and water was still flowing.
Troopers said they are searching for anyone who might have been caught in the flood waters.
A flash flood warning is in effect for that area — on the backside of last summer’s Pole Creek fire burn scar — until 7:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS said the flooding comes from thunderstorms that are moving slowly across the state to the northeast.
Flash flooding was also reported in Duchesne County, trapping about a dozen patrons at Promised Land Resort at the Pinnacles, formerly known as Camelot Resort, in Strawberry.
A post on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page said no injuries had been reported and that crews were working to rescue the stranded people.
The flooding there is near the area of last year’s Dollar Ridge Fire, and the sheriff’s office said flood waters would likely move around leftover debris.
“With additional rain in the forecast, we are asking people to avoid the area for their safety and for the safety of those who will be called upon to rescue them if they become trapped,” the office said in the post.
The storms also brought strong, widespread wind gusts from north Utah County into South Salt Lake County.
Just before 7 p.m., the NWS received a report of a 42 mph wind gust at Salt Lake International Airport.
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