Pours of rain throughout the Salt Lake Valley caused flooding and road closures Wednesday.
The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning for urban and small stream flooding in the valley through 4:30 p.m., and the downpour caused Utah Highway Patrol to close Interstate 215 at 3300 South due to “significant flooding” in the area, said UHP Maj. Jeff Nigbur. Officials are also advising the public to avoid the intersection at 3300 South and 700 East.
Crews waded into the nearly knee-high pool of rainwater and are using industrial pumps to remove it from the road.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Crews document the deep water that backed up along I-215 at 3300 S. in Salt Lake City as they begin pumping the water out and south bound traffic is diverted.
South Salt Lake City Mayor Cherie Wood asked residents to help fill sand bags to prevent additional flooding along 3300 South. Anyone experiencing flooding in the area can call the city’s emergency operations center hotline at 801-649-5054.
Cottonwood Heights and Salt Lake City Emergency Management both announced that sandbags would be available to the public amid the flooding.
Sugarhouse Park also flooded, with water covering the road in places.
Elsewhere, flooding in Delta and its surrounding towns caused the first day of school to be canceled.
The area around Delta was also hit hard by flooding amid the storm. Three schools have some water damage, Millard School District Superintendent David V. Styler said.
Herriman City officials asked residents to be cautious on the roadways and avoid all creeks and canals as the city monitors flooded areas. Herriman residents posted videos of water flowing into the basements of their homes online. Herriman City Police officers directed traffic at the intersection of Starlight Hill and Silver Bowls Dr. after a manhole cover washed away.
In Eagle Mountain, city officials reported flooding in a ravine behind the Rock Creek Condos near SR-73 and urged drivers to use caution in the area.
Real Salt Lake Director of Fields and Grounds Dan Farnes posted a video of the field flooding at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Twitter. The team is set to take on the Houston Dynamo at 8 p.m. and has not announced plans to postpone or cancel the game.
The National Weather Service reported that some parts of the Salt Lake Valley received more than two inches of rain over the last 24 hours.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Firefighters, public works employees, and volunteers fill sandbags in South Salt Lake after heavy rains on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021.
Half an inch of rain fell on the Parleys Canyon Fire Tuesday night, and most firefighters were released Wednesday “as a result of the great work and rain,” according to Utah Fire Info.
The National Weather Service issued flash flood warning for Iron, Garfield and Washington counties. Airport Road in Cedar City was closed today after flooding and debris breached the river bank, making the road, “very dangerous,” Mayor Maile Wilson Edwards said in a social media post.
“With the extensive rain on the mountain and throughout the county we are again experiencing flooding. We remain under flash flood warnings,” she said.
In the Salt Lake City area there’s a 70% chance for rain again on Thursday.