Storm delays Sandy Amphitheater show, forces evacuation at West Valley venue

A severe thunderstorm swept through the Salt Lake Valley on Thursday evening, Aug. 13, dumping heavy rain on Sandy Amphitheater and delaying the Scotty McCreery concert while forcing a full evacuation at an outdoor venue across the valley in West Valley City.

Concertgoers at Sandy Amphitheater, 1245 E. 9400 South, waited out the storm before McCreery took the stage later in the evening. KUTV posted a photo credited to Andrew Gallinger showing heavy rain pounding the Sandy venue.

@Z104Country: "After a delay, Scotty McCreery has taken the stage at Sandy Amphitheater. Are you here?"

No evacuation was reported at Sandy Amphitheater. But at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City, the situation was more serious. Staff halted the Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers show just after 6:45 p.m. and ordered the crowd out.

The venue directed attendees to exit calmly and shelter in their vehicles or nearby parking garages, according to KUTV. Staff said they would post social media updates as they monitored conditions.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning along the Wasatch Front covering Salt Lake City, West Valley City and West Jordan, with potential wind gusts up to 70 mph and quarter-sized hail, ABC4 reported. A tornado warning was in effect for Tooele County, and flash flood warnings covered Tooele County and southern Utah.

Whether the Black Crowes concert resumed after the evacuation was not confirmed as of Thursday night. ABC4 described the situation as developing.

The storm hit during a packed stretch for outdoor concerts in Sandy. NeedToBreathe plays Sandy Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 15, ZZ Top on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Lee Brice on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. Sandy Amphitheater has not issued a public statement about storm protocols for upcoming shows.

Thursday's storm was the second time in about two weeks that 60-70 mph gusts struck the area. A severe thunderstorm on July 29 brought similar wind speeds to Salt Lake County, though no venue evacuations were reported during that event.