Scary video shows park visitors facing life-threatening flash flood: 'A reminder of the power of water'

Video footage taken at Utah's Zion National Park in the midst of flash floods provides a scary example of the dangers of rushing water.

Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) posted a video showing people and debris being swept away by the flow, with some visitors trying to cross a section of the river.

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"While it appears that no one was harmed in this video, it should serve as a reminder of the power of water," said the video caption. "Remember to always check on the likelihood of Flash Flooding before entering the river."

Flash floods are known to happen in The Narrows, where this video was recorded. Due to the tight width of the canyon, water can come rushing through suddenly, and it has proved fatal for some visitors.

Tourists at national parks can often be ignorant of the natural forces at work and the risks they pose. For example, some visitors can get a little too relaxed when visiting the ocean shoreline, where powerful tides can quickly sweep people off their feet. Others get far too close to waterfall edges and thermal pools.

As atmospheric pollution continues to climb, weather patterns can become more violent and unpredictable. This includes sudden storms that can spur the kinds of flash floods that hit park visitors like this one.

With unpredictability rising, it becomes harder to forecast and warn people of incoming dangers. That said, Utah has scored quite well on resiliency studies, which measure susceptibility to extreme weather events.

Zion National Park managers are conscious of the role emissions have to play in these sorts of dangerous events and have invested in an electric bus fleet in order to reduce the pollution produced in its daily operations.

After seeing the footage at Zion, Instagram commenters were eager to recommend caution when visiting the area.

"This is why you pay attention to the weather up to 25 miles away because you just never know!" one person said.

"If they're telling you to beware of flash floods then don't do it!" added another.

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