Residents recount 'destruction' of Springdale flooding

SPRINGDALE, Washington County — Powerful flash flooding swept through Springdale on Monday, damaging homes, washing mud and debris across roads and prompting frightening moments for residents and visitors near Zion National Park.

Angelea Glazier returned home with her children after severe rain and wind moved through the area.

"I got a phone call from my dad when the rain first started, saying, 'Hey, are you someplace safe?'" she said. "A few minutes later, I got a call from him again. Just saying, 'We're screwed. We're screwed. The water's coming up over the wall.'"

She rushed home to discover extensive flooding in her home where she lives with her husband and four children, and her parents.

"I didn't know the true destruction until getting out of the car," Glazier said.

The Springdale native said generations of her family have lived in the community, but they had never experienced flooding like this on their property. Their living room, where she has a home gym and classroom area for the children, was underwater.

"I could not comprehend how that much water was coming out of my space," she said. "Just watching items flow out of the door. I'm holding my six-month-old, my two-year-old's crying on my back."

Glazier's parents live upstairs, while she, her husband, Jacob, and their four children occupy the basement level. She said floodwaters were strong enough to break a window and rush into a bedroom.

"There's a four-foot water line in my boys' room that just totally destroyed all of their stuff," Glazier said. "All our books, their toys, their clothes, their bed, all the furniture (and) bookcases. And then it broke through my little girl's window. I'm just so glad that we weren't here."

Glazier said a group of about 30 people showed up to her house to help sort through their belongings. She said precious, sentimental items are gone, including her wedding dress and the chair she nursed her babies in.

"We have these wonderful ladies who are literally trying to soak out all this mud from clothes and things to see if we can even wash it," she said.

At the time of the flooding, Glazier's husband was gone, working as a Zion shuttle bus driver.

Among those caught in the storm were Washington State visitors Marisol and Casey Woodward, who were leaving the area after a hike when conditions rapidly deteriorated.

They had planned to hike the Narrows, but after seeing the weather forecast and getting warnings on their phones, they opted to leave early.

"We've had warnings where we live, but this was legit," Marisol Woodward said. "This is serious."

The couple said heavy rain quickly turned dangerous as they were leaving the canyon. Debris began washing across roadways.

"There were rocks coming across the road, and we were like, 'Let's get out of here,'" Casey Woodward said. "And then probably just another mile is when that waterfall busted over the cliff side."

The Woodwards said mud and runoff transformed areas along the road into what appeared to be small lakes.

"We pulled over, and she's like, 'Can we go through that?' And I'm like, 'I don't know,'" Casey said.

They were able to leave Springdale and said they were grateful they were already in their vehicle when conditions worsened.

"I think the message is to really listen to those warnings," Marisol Woodward said.

As additional storms moved through the area Monday evening, Glazier said she remained concerned about the possibility of more flooding.

A *GoFundme has been set up to help her family as they work to clean up the damage and replace what was lost.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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