Emergency declared in portions of Utah after wildfires, flooding in three counties
Jul 22, 2026, 1:04 PM | Updated: 1:34 pm
A section of state Route 153 in Beaver Canyon is washed out. Utah Department of Transportation officials said Tuesday that the canyon route is closed indefinitely because of flood damage. The governor declared a state of emergency over the flooding. (Utah Department of Transportation)
(Utah Department of Transportation)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox has declared a state of emergency covering Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties, in light of recent wildfires and the subsequent flooding that followed them.
An emergency declaration allows the state to keep deploying resources to assist the people and businesses affected. It activates the state’s emergency operations plan.
In a news release, Cox said declaring an emergency for flooding and wildfires helps to ensure that recovery efforts keep moving forward.
“Utahns have endured an incredibly difficult wildfire season, and now many of these same communities are facing life-threatening flooding caused by those fires,” said Cox. “This declaration ensures we can continue providing every available resource to help local communities respond, recover and prepare for the continued flood risks that remain throughout the summer. We are grateful to the firefighters, emergency managers, law enforcement officers, public works crews and countless others working around the clock to keep Utahns safe.”
This story will be updated.
