156
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$11.6M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Wayne County, Utah: 156 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #65 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Wayne County, Utah: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Wayne County is the 2010s, when 70 of the county's 156 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Wayne County archive, flash flood makes up 82.5% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #65 for this hazard and #3 within Utah, putting it in the 97.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Wayne County with 63 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 1997 | FRUITA | 0 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2, 2025 | TORREY | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 6, 2025 | FRUITA | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2025 | FRUITA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2024 | TORREY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 2024 | NOTOM | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 27, 2024 | (4HV)HANKSVILLE | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 27, 2024 | GROVER | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 27, 2024 | FRUITA | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2024 | FRUITA | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 13, 2023 | FRUITA | 0 | $500 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
HWY 24 undercut and one lane washed out. Flooding in Grand Wash. Bus with 29 passengers washed off road…no injuries reported. A mobile home was washed into a flooded creek. 2.78 of rain reported at Capitol Reef NP. Damage estimate collected from media reports. Official estimate not available.
A significant flash flood occurred in the town of Hanksville, with nearly every structure in town impacted by flooding. Floodwaters were reportedly as deep as 6 feet in places. Rainfall totals were 1.2 inches in Hanksville, and were as high as 1.7 inches in the Henry Mountains. In Capitol Reef National Park, 1.66 inches fell.
Capitol Reef National Park reported SR-24 was impassable near milepost 83 due to flood waters from grand wash. Scenic drive was also closed, and the parking lot at the Grand Wash trailhead flooded. The flooding stranded nearly 60 people, and trapped or washed away several vehicles. Numerous water rescues were conducted by Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter operations to bring people to safety.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Wayne County, Utah?
156 flash flood events are recorded in Wayne County between 1997 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Wayne County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Wayne County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Wayne County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Wayne County, Utah.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/utah/wayne-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.