S.L. County prepares for flooding with sandbags


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SALT LAKE CITY -- Salt Lake County residents who live near rivers and creeks are on edge as temperatures begin to soar and the threat of flooding rises.

Temperatures in the mid-80s are expected Sunday and Monday. It's unclear what impact exactly that will have on the record-high snowpack in the mountains above, but it is weighing on the nerves of several homeowners in the valley.

"I think everybody's really worried because there's so much more snow," Ronald Johnson said.

Johnson's backyard runs up against Little Cottonwood Creek. Last year when the waters rose more than 12 feet suddenly, Johnson lost a section of his property. His son, Mark, got dangerously close to flood waters to help place sandbags.


I think everybody's really worried because there's so much more snow.

–Ronald Johnson


The fence along the property line remains mangled following last year's flooding. Now, the edge of the yard has been reinforced with several large rocks.

Salt Lake County held a sandbagging drive at the public works complex in Midvale Saturday, in hopes of bolstering supplies. The county aims to have 10,000 sandbags on hand at all times. The goal Saturday was to make at least 5,000 sandbags. County officials were not disappointed when over 100 volunteers turned out to help in the efforts.

"We're up on a hill above City Creek and just knowing there are neighbors near a creek, you know it would be a real bummer for them to get flooded," volunteer Logan Campbell said.

The Neville family from Farmington came down to help, after their river trip was nixed by high flows.

"Just a lot of water," Brett Neville said. "We'll probably need to help out in Farmington, too - Farmington Canyon, some of the other things now flooding."


We're up on a hill above City Creek and just knowing there are neighbors near a creek, you know it would be a real bummer for them to get flooded.

–Logan Campbell


For Dean and Holly Offret, Saturday marked a chance to teach their young children, Everett and Scarlet, about community service.

"We want to help be prepared, so we thought it would be a good family activity for a Saturday," Dean Offret said.

Salt Lake County volunteer services manager Sheryl Ivey said people are getting the message that help is needed, and the situation could potentially be serious.

"We've had very few people actually here that are in a flood zone," Ivey said. "These are people who just want to be here to help those that are."

Public works director Patrick Leary said Friday, the county had game-planned out as many scenarios as they could imagine. Staging areas have already been plotted in potential flood zones. A new, $23,000 machine known as Megga Bagger has wheels and can be moved to flooded areas to mass-produce sandbags.

Signs of trouble are expected to first surface at the north end of the county with City Creek, and then migrate south to Emigration Creek and Big and Little Cottonwood Creeks, Ivey said.

E-mail: aadams@ksl.com

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