Draper declares state of emergency as torrential rain slams northern Utah

DRAPER — Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Salt Lake Valley, leaving several Draper roads damaged and causing flooding and safety concerns Thursday night.

Draper Mayor Troy Walker declared a state of emergency due to flooding and said the following roads were damaged or left impassible due to standing water and slide debris:

• Highland Drive at 1300 East
• Roundabout at Rambling Road and Mike Weir Drive
• Bangerter Parkway from 13800 South to Highland Drive

"A little over 2 inches came down in over an hour, and so we had major localized rain flooding events that have done pretty extensive damage to some of our public infrastructure," Walker said.

Traverse Ridge Road became a raging river, and viewer-submitted video showed several cars driving through the deep waters.

Sgt. Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol said the southbound I-15 on-ramp at 14600 South was closed due to a mudslide, and a KSL viewer submitted a photo of a sinkhole that appeared on Bangerter Parkway near 14200 South.

Walker said the Bangerter Parkway area will take the longest to clean up as the sidewalk is gone and gas lines are exposed. The road collapsed during Thursday's storm, and Walker estimated it's about a 60-foot gap.

"Our goal as a city is to get the road open, get the infrastructure safe so people can commute," Walker said.

Along 1300 East at Highland Drive, firefighters had to rescue people after three or four cars got trapped in floodwaters.

"We realized it was going to an extensive, extensive amount of damage, and we were going to need some help," Walker added. The city has set up an emergency center and is coordinating with Salt Lake County Emergency Services. It expected to find more damage as the sun came up Friday.

Walker said residents can call the city to report any damaged infrastructure and the goal is to get things back to normal as soon as possible. Draper city officials sent out a statement Friday asking property owners in Draper to report storm damage so the city can track and report it to the county and state.

Property owners should not wait for the city, county or state to address the damage at their residence, Draper city officials said.

"Affected residents and business owners should contact their home and business insurance providers as soon as possible to report the damage and determine coverage, if any. The city cannot make any promises regarding financial compensation related to damages," the city statement said.

Draper city officials are collecting information to determine if the city meets the minimum threshold for the emergency declaration and financial assistance. If the city meets the threshold, the state will determine if money is awarded and where it will be allocated.

Four units in the Promontory Point apartment complex at 1175 View Point Drive in Sandy experienced major flooding with two feet of water in each unit, according to the American Red Cross of Utah. The Red Cross said it helped 13 resident find lodging and other community disaster resources.

Anyone in need of assistance can contact the Red Cross at 801-892-4000 or at redcross.org/utah.

Rain, raccoons falling from sky during postponed RSL match

A torrential downpour hit America First Field just before kickoff, but that wasn't the only thing falling at the stadium.

The severe weather also forced Real Salt Lake's round of 16 Leagues Cup match vs. Liga MX's León to be postponed to Friday at 7 p.m. The USANA Amphitheatre was also evacuated during The Offspring concert due to thunderstorms.

Willard flash flooding

Thursday afternoon's thunderstorms led to flash flooding in Willard, sending a wall of mud across yards and into homes.

An intense rainstorm hit the hillside and mountains above town too fast to soak into the ground, quickly turning into a river of mud charging straight toward several homes, including Mike Wetzel's house.

"I just heard a rumbling. And next thing I know, there's just a river of mud coming down the neighbor's driveway," Wetzel said. "And I just watched it come right straight across the street, over the curb, and right in the yard. Filled it full of about a foot of mud."

Contributing: Bridger Beal-Cvetko

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