Dramatic Videos Show Horror Of Utah Floods

Footage emerging from Hildale, Utah, captures the destruction of flash floods that killed at least 16 people Monday.

The flooding came as a result of heavy rains that hit Hildale, as well as Colorado City, Arizona, at around 5 p.m. The rain hitting nearby canyons triggered “a large wall of water and debris” that swept through the street, engulfed two vehicles, and carried them into a ravine, officials told Reuters. At least 12 people were killed in that incident. Three passengers who were in those cars, all children, survived, and one adult is still missing.

Virginia Black was in her home and caught the water sweeping the vehicles away on camera.

"It was terrifying," she told The Associated Press. "They were getting washed away, and there was nothing I could do about it."

At Zion National Park, four people who were exploring canyons at the time of the rains died. Three people who were at the park are still missing.

Lydia Wilder was in her SUV when the rains hit and filmed the water surging through the streets, not knowing how serious the situation would become.

"It happened within like a half hour, 45 minutes," her husband, Chris Wyler, told CNN. "(Then) it was just gone. And then the sun was shining again."

Aerial drone footage from Monday evening shows rescue crews working among the wreckage.

Hildale is best known as the seat of a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that split from the Mormon Church in the early 20th century.

Contact the author of this article at Hilary.Hanson@huffingtonpost.com

Also on HuffPost: