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FOUNTAIN GREEN, SANPETE COUNTY — Some homeowners in Fountain Green are still digging out of a huge, muddy mess. Flood waters Monday pushed heaps loose dirt left over from the Wood Hollow fire into the home of Kathy Facer, almost reaching the ceiling.
They've had a couple of trucks here, pumping water in to thin out the mud and then they pump it back outside.
SALT LAKE CITY — Homeowners living below mountainsides charred by this summer's wildfires now have to worry about thunderstorms that produce landslides. They're not without hope, but they first have to admit that there is a danger.
"We've had 13 people that have died from debris flows in Utah, in the history of Utah, and all of those people have died at night," said Senior Geologist Richard Girard with the Utah Geological Survey.
He says that night is when people let down their guard, so they have to prepare evacuation plans before the rain falls. He also tells homeowners to know their land and measure their vulnerability.
"You want to know where you are at relative to stream channels," he said. "You want to know if you live on an alluvial fan."
Giraud says stacking sandbags and planting extra trees can help protect homes, but human lives come first.
Volunteers have been handing stuff up from the basement through window wells. After a whole evening of digging, Kathy Facer's basement is still far from what is used to be. She thinks the floor will be a total loss.
"We're still just trying to figure out what's down there, and get the stuff out," she said.
The pumps are constantly running as truckloads of debris are hauled away. Some of the personal items found below are hard to recognize.
"Watching everything get thrown away. Years of memories. Kind of sad," Facer said.
Throughout the day, volunteers have been spraying, shoveling, and raking through what's left trying to reach to bottom.
Brother-in-law Christian Facer says he had no idea his brother's house was like this until this morning.
"Saw Kathy's face on the news, and then pictures of the house," he said. He's just one of dozens who have been here trying to salvage what's left.
Read More:
Deseret News: The hidden cost of fire: floods and no insurance
Like the overwhelming majority of Utah residents, the Fountain Green residents whose homes were flooded Monday do not have flood insurance on their home. If the flames had reversed course and burned west instead of east, any fire damage would have been covered under their homeowner's insurance policy.There's been some concern today about the weather they want to get all of the mud out before any more rain could come since there is another flash flood warning tonight.
The Facers' insurance won't pay a dime for their catastrophe. They're on their own.
As they pull items out of the Facers' muck-covered basement most of it is unsalvageable. It's tough to hear that insurance doesn't cover flood damage after losing so much.
"Watching everything get thrown away (is sad)," she said. "Years of memories."
