Gould Wash flooded Hurricane, Utah twice in ten weeks in 2026, on August 14 and again on October 22, and Washington County Emergency Management told ABC4 the October flood affected as many as 80 homes plus about 50 RVs at the Willow Wind RV park. If you're buying or selling anywhere near the wash, here's the short version: look up the FEMA flood zone for the exact address, price flood insurance before you're under contract, read the water-damage answers on the seller disclosure closely, and ask what was repaired and who did the work. I live in one of the neighborhoods along Gould Wash, so I'll walk through each of those from both sides of the deal.
What happened along Gould Wash in 2026
Gould Wash is a channel that sits dry most of the year and drains nearly 65 square miles of higher ground east of town, below the Hurricane Cliffs, according to AccuWeather's report on the October flood. On August 14, 2026 a monsoon storm sent water down the wash and into the Pecan Townhomes area. On October 22 it happened again, harder, after one to two inches of rain fell over the headwaters, and Mayor Clark Fawcett declared a local emergency that afternoon.
The counts depend on who did the counting. Washington County Emergency Management put it at as many as 80 homes and an RV park where about 50 more units were hit, per ABC4, and KSL later reported around 130 homes affected. A lot of those families had just finished rebuilding from August when the second flood came through. Another round of heavy rain starting November 1 had neighbors sandbagging and watching the wash again.
What the floods did on my street
I live along Gould Wash, and KUTV talked to me on November 1 as that third storm rolled in. The August flood stayed out of my backyard. The October flood didn't. It broke through my neighbor's block wall and left about a foot and a half of water in my yard. My house stayed dry and wasn't damaged, and I know how lucky that makes me, because my neighbor had finished new carpet, new sod and new rock two days before the second flood and lost all of it.
What I watch now is the bottom of the wash. After August, the channel near us was holding a lot more sediment, about two feet more by my eye, which is what I told KSL after the second flood. A wash that's two feet shallower can't carry what it carried before. Mayor Fawcett has since acknowledged to KUTV that the city hadn't cleared Gould Wash near homes before the second flood, and he said the city is rethinking its approach.
Is my Hurricane home in a flood zone?
Look up the exact address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, because flood zones in Hurricane follow the washes and the Virgin River, not neighborhood names. KSL reported that the land around Gould Wash has been recognized as a high-risk flood zone for decades, even though it hadn't seen major flooding since the early 1980s. If an address lands in a high-risk zone, labeled A or AE on the map, and you're buying with a federally backed loan, your lender will require flood insurance.
A lower-risk result is not a pass. It means lower risk, not no risk, and in both 2026 floods water went places people didn't expect it to go. When I'm helping someone buy near the wash, I want to see the map result, the lot itself after a good rain, and which way the ground falls toward the house.
Do you need flood insurance in Hurricane, Utah?
Near Gould Wash or the Virgin River, I'd price it on every purchase, whether the lender requires it or not. Standard homeowners policies generally don't cover flood (my homeowners insurance guide for St. George covers what those policies do cost), so flood coverage comes from a separate policy. FEMA says a new National Flood Insurance Program policy typically has a 30-day waiting period before it takes effect.
One exception matters a lot to buyers. Under FEMA's rules, the waiting period doesn't apply when flood insurance is bought in connection with making a new loan, so a buyer who sets it up for closing can be covered the day they close, per FEMA's bulletin on waiting period exceptions. A homeowner who waits until the next storm shows up in the forecast is already too late. Get the quote during your due diligence period so the premium is part of your payment math before you're locked in.
What sellers near Gould Wash have to disclose
If you know about it, disclose it. Utah's standard Real Estate Purchase Contract has the seller deliver seller disclosures in Section 7, and the Seller's Property Condition Disclosure that most Utah sellers fill out asks about past or present water damage from flooding or lot drainage, about any repairs, and about insurance claims. In my view a yard that took water belongs on the form too, along with what was damaged, what was fixed and who fixed it.
I'm not an attorney, and if you're unsure how to answer a question on the form, ask one. In my experience, though, the sellers who get hurt are the ones who leave something off, not the ones who explain it. A clear write-up with receipts, contractor names and photos of the finished work tells a buyer exactly what happened, and that usually does more for your price than silence would.
What buyers should check before buying near Gould Wash
Use the due diligence deadline in your contract for this. My buyer's guide for St. George and Hurricane walks through how those deadlines work. Near the wash, this is the list I'd work through before that deadline passes.
| Check | Why it matters | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| FEMA flood zone for the exact address | Decides whether your lender requires flood insurance | FEMA Flood Map Service Center |
| Flood insurance quote | The premium goes into your monthly payment, and a policy bought outside a loan closing usually waits 30 days | An insurance agent, during due diligence |
| Seller disclosure, water damage answers | Flooding, lot drainage, repairs and claims history | The seller, through the listing agent |
| Repair records | Who replaced drywall, flooring and insulation, and whether anyone tested for moisture afterward | The seller's contractors and receipts |
| Lot grading and drainage | How water would move across the lot and toward the foundation | Your own look after a rain, plus your home inspector |
| Insurance claims history | Past water claims on a property can affect what insurers will offer you | A CLUE report, which the seller can order on their own home |
Will the floods change home prices in Hurricane?
It's too early to measure, and I won't pretend otherwise. There haven't been enough sales near the wash since October 22 to say anything with real numbers behind it. In my experience buyers price in the risk they can see, so homes right along Gould Wash will probably face more questions and longer inspections, while most of Hurricane sits well away from the wash and shouldn't feel it the same way. For current prices and days on market across the area, see my monthly St. George housing market report, and for homes for sale around town, my Hurricane homes for sale page.
What's being done to stop Gould Wash from flooding?
A federal flood-control plan is approved, though not built. In a Record of Decision published in the Federal Register on September 17, 2026, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service formally selected a dry detention dam upstream of Hurricane on Bureau of Land Management land, plus reshaping the wash through town, for the Gould Wash Flood Protection Project. That decision closes out the federal environmental review of the plan laid out in the March 2026 Final Plan-EIS. The plan cuts the 100-year flood flow through the city from 8,820 cubic feet per second down to 3,000. FOX 13 reported the project would cost about $63 million, with the federal government covering $58 million of it. The Final Plan-EIS itself says the project would protect the area along the wash from a 100-year flood, and it lists structures being removed from FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Areas among the long-term benefits. So if it gets built, many of the homes now inside the mapped flood plain should come out of it once FEMA updates its maps. That would matter a lot to owners near the wash, because a home outside the high-risk zone is no longer required to carry flood insurance on a federally backed loan. It's a big if, and there's no firm construction date yet. Until the work is finished, protection along the wash comes down to sandbags, channel maintenance and the city's warnings.
Frequently asked questions
Did Gould Wash flood twice in 2026?
Yes. Gould Wash flooded Hurricane, Utah on August 14 and again on October 22, 2026, and Mayor Clark Fawcett declared a local emergency after the second flood. Washington County Emergency Management said the October flood affected as many as 80 homes and about 50 RVs.
Is Gould Wash in a FEMA flood zone?
Parts of it are. KSL reported that the land around Gould Wash has been recognized as a high-risk flood zone for decades. Zones follow the wash, so look up the exact address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center rather than going by neighborhood.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Utah?
Usually not. Standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood, so coverage comes from a separate flood policy. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy typically takes 30 days to start, unless it is bought with a new loan at closing.
Do Utah sellers have to disclose past flooding?
Yes, if they know about it. The Seller's Property Condition Disclosure that most Utah sellers use asks about past or present water damage from flooding or lot drainage, about repairs, and about insurance claims. When in doubt, disclose it and explain what was fixed.
Will the Gould Wash Flood Protection Project take homes out of the flood plain?
It should for many of them, if it gets built. The project's March 2026 Final Plan-EIS says it would protect the area along the wash from a 100-year flood and lists structures being removed from FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Areas as a long-term benefit. FEMA would still have to update its flood maps after construction.
If you're weighing a home near the wash, or you live on it and want to know what this means for selling, call me at 435-200-5508. I live on this wash, and I'll tell you what I'd want to know if it were my money. Open the contact form.