SALT LAKE CITY — With floodwaters receded, Salt Lake City is seeking emergency federal funds to assist dozens of residents impacted by Wednesday's severe rainstorm.
Mayor Jackie Biskupski announced Friday she had signed an order declaring a local emergency after unprecedented rainfall flooded homes, damaged cars and left roads and rails impassable in three areas of the city.
"We understand the storm has been a traumatic event for our residents, and while we cannot promise we can make individuals whole, the city and partners are committed to doing all we can to help people recover from this challenging situation," Biskupski said.
The declaration, which must be forwarded to county and state leaders, is the first step in seeking emergency federal funding.
Since the storm, the Red Cross has contacted residents in 161 homes, Biskupski said, finding that 92 had been impacted by the flood.
Especially hard-hit were homes in the Sugar House area, houses in the low-lying neighborhoods near Smith's Ballpark and homes along the Jordan River, according to city officials.
In a statement Friday, the Red Cross reported that damage ranges from minor issues to unlivable conditions. Many residents did not have insurance, according the to statement.
The city is also organizing a recovery center where flood victims can come for information about receiving assistance. The center's location will be announced at the beginning of next week.
Cory Lyman, Salt Lake City's director of emergency management, said if federal funding is approved, assistance could included money for impacted schools and low-interest federal loans directed toward private-property owners.
"We're going to do everything in our power to try to get (funding) directed to (residents), but right now we're very early in the process," Lyman said.
Residents impacted by the flood are urged to call the Department for Public Utilities at 801-483-6700 to receive information and to report what has been damaged, Biskupski said. She noted that homeowners are asked to contact the city even if they are already being assisted by volunteer organizations, and that they should still talk to their insurance providers as well.
The full financial impact of the storm has not been determined, Biskupski said, noting that some of that data will come from residents who call in to report damage.
In addition to homes, East High School, Highland High School and Emerson Elementary School were damaged in the flood.
Yándary Zavala Chatwin, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City School District, said damage is most extensive at East High, where repair costs are expected to reach between $3 million and $5 million.
The floor of the school's basketball court will need to be replaced, Chatwin said, and laundry and other facilities installed this year for homeless and needy students must be cleaned and restocked. Electrical and climate systems will also require repair.
"We hope to be able to keep things on track to open the school on Aug. 21 to be ready for students to come — our crews are continuing to work for that," Chatwin said.
Highland High School is estimated to need $350,000 to $500,000 worth of repairs, Chatwin said. A classroom at Emerson Elementary school was also damaged.
In Sugar House, more than 5 feet of water poured into the basement of the iconic Sprague Branch of the Salt Lake City Library, soaking the walls and destroying books, computers and furniture. The library will be closed for several months for repairs.
"We've lost thousands of books in our children's library, our teen library, our nonfiction collection, and we're just sorting through everything right now trying to see what we can do to bring the building back on," said Andrew Shaw, communications manager for the Salt Lake City Public Library System.
While the Sprague library is closed, staff will be working at other libraries in the area, Shaw said.
Though many individuals have reached out wanting to donate books, Shaw said the system isn't currently able to take their contributions. Instead, he is encouraging donations to the Friends of the City Library organization.
Wednesday's downpour dropped more than 2 inches of water in just a few hours, overwhelming Salt Lake City's storm drains, said Laura Briefer, director of the Department of Public Utilities. Moving forward, she said, the city will look for any adjustments that could be made to mitigate the impacts of such severe rainfall.
"We are in the process of evaluating this particular event and the amount of water that came into the system," Briefer said. "There are just a number of areas in the city where we could look at our storm drain system and see how much of a risk this is going to be for the long term, and whether there is a feasible approach for us to take."
Biskupski emphasized the flooding was not the result of a failure of the city's system.
"A storm like this hasn't happened, probably, in 200 years," Biskupski said. "It's really just an unprecedented event, and we know that the system we have in place is the right system, the storm was just too much for it."
Rich Woodruff, communications director for the Red Cross in Utah and Nevada, said the relief organization is assisting with temporary lodging, providing food and clothing, replacing prescription medication, and distributing "comfort kits."
Partner organizations are also working with the Red Cross to help with relocation, furniture replacement and other needs, Woodruff said.
Meanwhile, volunteers are distributing cleaning supplies, snacks and water in the affected neighborhoods, Woodruff said, and caseworkers will follow-up with families as they "begin their road to recovery."
Those wishing to contribute to storm recovery support are encouraged to volunteer or donate to service providers currently responding to the damage, Lyman said.