Fifteen hundred residents of this quiet, predominantly LDS valley were forced to higher ground during the early hours of New Year's Day as a dike burst, slamming 25,000 acre feet of water through their homes and property. No one was injured, but approximately 35 homes, 100 apartment units, and acres of farmland along the banks of the Virgin River were damaged or destroyed. In addition, a countless number of livestock were drowned in the deluge.

Members and non-members alike spent several days working side-by-side to help those affected by the flood, caused when the dike holding back the waters of the Quail Creek Reservoir burst.Hardest hit areas were in the Bloomington Utah and the Bloomington Hills Utah stakes, where hundreds of volunteers concentrated their clean-up efforts.

"The most impressive thing about this tragedy has been the massive amount of effort that has taken place to help others," observed Pres. Steve Peterson, of the Bloomington stake. "Assignments were made to specific wards, groups and stakes to bring in crews. Every single ward in every stake in the area has been involved."

Twenty homes were damaged in the Bloomington 2nd Ward and Bishop Bill Lamb spearheaded some of the clean-up efforts.

"We started working Sunday," he said. "We weren't very organized, but we sent people out. By Monday we knew where the help was needed most and we made assignments accordingly. We've had offers of help from everyone," he continued."There hasn't been any distinction between members and non-members. Everyone has been helping everyone who needs it."

In addition to Bishop Lamb, other bishops in the Bloomington stake were organizing clean-up efforts in their wards, where an additional seven houses sustained damage.

James Larkin, president of the Bloomington Hills Utah Stake, said the only buildings damaged in his stake were those in an apartment complex, where approximately 100 units were damaged.

"Our major task was to get the people moved out and relocated and then help them clean out the apartments," he explained.

Arline Heaton, a member of the St. George 21st Ward and manager of the complex, was grateful for the help of neighbors and friends.

"Ward members were here by 7 on Sunday morning," she said. "They came with brooms, mops, shovels and trucks. And they stayed straight through the night and kept on working."

According to Sister Heaton, Church members helped residents of the apartment building salvage possessions and move into temporary housing. Then they began cleaning up the "muck."

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"I don't know what we would have done without their help," said Sister Heaton. "I am so thankful for them."

Although the dike had been leaking since it was built in 1985, officials began monitoring a new leak that was discovered the morning of Dec. 31. By midnight on New Year's Eve, police had begun evacuating residents whose homes were in the path of the oncoming flood.

The Bloomington stake center and the Mancanita meetinghouse were opened to the evacuees, said Pres. Peterson. "But only about 100 people stayed there. Most stayed with friends or family."

By the middle of the week, all but 30 of those had returned to their homes to start the long, slow process of rebuilding and cleaning up.

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