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SALT LAKE CITY -- So far, so good when it comes to potential flood risks in the state. Even with a couple of days of higher temperatures and 24 hours of rain, most rivers and creeks are staying in their banks.
Related:
Flood Watch River Flow Tracker
To track the water levels of creeks and rivers near you, go to our Live 5 River Flow Tracker.The Cache Valley is the only part of the state where the flood threat has materialized, and even there it appears the waters are receding.
State and local officials say planning has paid off. About 25 city and county emergency management leaders met Monday morning at Salt Lake County's Emergency Management Center. They discussed several topics, including flood preparation and flood potential. They broke the concern into the following creeks:
- City
- Red Butte
- Emigration
- Big and Little Cottonwood
- Dry
- Willow
- Corner Canyon
They are most concerned about Emigration Creek even though Monday morning the creek was well below flood stage.
Several sandbagging stations are already designated around the valley. Emergency leaders say 7,500 sandbags are ready to go with thousands more ready to be filled.
"We've done and we are doing everything that we know to do," said Scott Baird, director of Salt Lake County flood control.
"We're removing debris from the creeks, we've purchased a large amount of sandbags, we've got the sandbags filled, we're coordinating with the cities, we have our equipment ready to go. We also have our flood control crews and then the county's operational crews that can increase the amount of manpower we can put on the creeks."
County emergency leaders stressed that communication and volunteer safety will be a priority if flooding does happen. They are taking the potential for flooding seriously.
"I don't think it's being blown out of proportion as much as everybody realizes there's a potential for flooding and the likelihood that we could get some flooding on one of the creeks or more of the creeks. So we're watching that and being as ready as we can be," Baird said.
Minor flooding in Logan
Other areas being watched include the Weber River near Oakley, the South Fork of the Ogden River, and Chalk Creek near Coalville.
Minor flooding is reported along the Blacksmith Fork River near Logan. At one nearby business, the owner hired heavy equipment to build a dike. City crews are pumping water to alleviate threats to the Country Manor subdivision.
Teresa Harris, spokeswoman for Logan's mayor, said, "I think we're ready, very well prepared for this."
Related:
Mississippi River could crest Monday at Memphis
Forecasters say the Mississippi River could crest late Monday at Memphis _ hours sooner than previously predicted _ but the mayor says the city's ready for it.Many rivers are so full it takes only a nudge from the weather to push them over flood stage. That makes the situation difficult to predict.
This morning, the threat in Logan has eased, but the storm is only half over and warmer weather is on the way.
According to meteorologists, the best-case scenario to reduce flooding would be quick warm-ups followed by a cool pattern. That would mean some flooding, but not widespread.
Click here for the KSL 5 forecast.
Written with contributions from Shara Park, Randall Jeppesen and the DMC news team.
