Still Flash Flood season

[jiveassmother]

I noticed this morning that the Virgin River was way up. I have seen it this high but not this fast. It went from 85 cfs to 1,520 cfs in one fifteen minute guage reading. That is crazy! :eek2:

[DSTRBD]

Man, it rained here in Hurricane like crazy last night, There is a flash warning out right now for most of Zion...

[Win]

That is some spike, it was a wild night here. too.

Win

[tylerhirshfeld]

Sure was a beautiful storm to wake up to though. Too bad they move through so fast.:popcorn:

[tylerhirshfeld]

Just an update...I guess the night that the narrows got hit, Diana's Canyon near Mt. Carmel got hit hard as well. We were in there this morning, and it is a totally different canyon. All the potholes are no longer filled with sand but with water. It obviously threw 3 ft boulders around like pebbles, as there is one lodged tight in the canyon, I have no clue where the thing came from. After the series of rappels halfway through, at the bottom of the "v" shaped downclimb, there is atleast 4 ft of real quicksand. The stuff you step on and it quickly sucks you in. I am glad I knew my rescue techniques, as I had to pull my wife out using a 3:1. We had her tied in the whole time, but it was stuff I wouldnt want to be in. You just gotta be ready when a canyon throws you a curveball. By measuring where the mud marks were on the wall, and I am no mathmetician, it must have been atleast 800 cfs at the highest point. UNBELEVABLE! Anyways, anyone looking to visit anytime soon, you are in for a treat!!

[blueeyes]

I am glad I knew my rescue techniques, as I had to pull my wife out using a 3:1. :eek2: I am having visions of The Princess Bride here.

[tylerhirshfeld]

INCONCEIVABLE!

[scubabryan]

I was just called by someone in my church because a member of my ward took their sons up to Zion on Thursday from Vegas with the intent to hike the Narrows on Friday. From what I was just told, they were supposed to be back in town yesterday and it's now Sunday and they are not back. According to his wife, it's not like him to not call. I do know a few days ago when I was on the Zion express permit site, most of the canyons were closed due to flash flooding. I just jumped back on and see that the canyons have reopened. Anyone know when they started releasing permits again? Was it yesterday or today? I assume if he tried to get a permit for Friday, they weren't giving any out due to the flash flood warnings. I don't know the guy too well, I have done one canyon with him and from that, I can't tell if he would have risked doing the narrows, with his teenage boys, without a permit during a flash flood (I sure hope he would be smarter than that!). Just trying to gather some info for the family since we are in Las Vegas.

[trackrunner]

not sure when it is exactly they start issuing permits again. tom and others would know for sure. I think it's something like 4 to 8 hours after the flash flood, warning, maybe watch.

FYI a flash flood watch has been issued for Zion today (http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=slc&sid=SLC&pil=FFA)

current flash flood rating is high for today (http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/forecast/PILversion.php?sid=SLC&pil=RRA&version=1)

[stefan]

and just to clarify the terms for those playing along (as shane likes to say)


Flash Flood Potential Rating - A qualitative rating (Low, Moderate, High, or Very High), indicative of the potential for flash flooding.

Flash Flood Watch - Issued when conditions are favorable for flash flooding. A watch usually gives 12 to 36 hours advance notice of the onset. A watch indicates a need for planning, preparation, and an increased awareness of changing weather conditions.

Flash Flood Warning - Issued when:
• Flash flooding is reported or imminent
• A dam or levee failure is imminent or occurring
• A sudden failure of a naturally-caused stream obstruction (including debris slide,
avalanche, or ice jam) is imminent or occurring
• Precipitation capable of causing flash flooding is indicated by radar, rain gages,
and/or satellite imagery.
• Local monitoring and prediction tools indicate flash flooding is likely


Flood Watch - Issued when conditions are favorable for river flooding. A watch usually gives 12 to 36 hours advance notice of the onset.

Flood Warning - Issued for flooding along rivers and streams. A warning indicates the need to take immediate action to protect life and property. The two categories of flood warnings are:
• Point Specific Flooding Warning - Issued for specific river forecast points
• Areal Flood Warning - Issued for a generalized area... from LINK (http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/wxsafety/fldsftywrnsswk_2007.pdf)

[tylerhirshfeld]

They started issuing permits again at 715 Thursday night and through Friday. I am pretty sure they were issuing them all day yesterday as well. The water level was still a little high on Thursday but had dropped significantly by Friday.
Hope you can find this guy and his sons. I dropped two groups off at the trailhead Fri. morning and it was obvious that it had been hit hard on Wed. but water levels were at a safe level. Do you know if they hired a shuttle to the top or did they drive there own vehicle up. What kinda vehicle?

[scubabryan]

Thanks for the info. I just got a text that they are okay and on their way home. That's all the info they gave me. Glad they are ok.

[dbaxter]

Thanks for the info. I just got a text that they are okay and on their way home. That's all the info they gave me. Glad they are ok.
Great News...Thanks for letting us know they're safe
:nod: