Utah’s capital city declared a state of emergency as a result of flood damage caused by its rainiest day in over a century.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued the emergency order Monday evening, noting that heavy rains caused localized flooding and damage to both public and private property, mostly near 2000 West and 800 North in the city’s Westpointe neighborhood. It provides the city, county and other entities with a greater ability to request aid for materials needed for repairs caused by the flooding.
The order also puts the city and affected residents in a position to seek or receive federal recovery funds, if available.
“By declaring a state of emergency, the city can access additional resources and move faster to support the families affected,” Mendenhall said in a statement. “It allows us to direct more city resources into cleanup, work hand-in-hand with the city and state, and open the door to financial assistance that could ease the burden for residents whose homes were damaged.”
More than two dozen homes flooded, as 2.61 inches of rain fell over 14 hours between late Friday and Saturday. Most of it fell on Saturday, which ended up being the city’s rainiest day since 1901. It was also more rain than the city had received over the past four months combined. The National Weather Service’s official gauge is located by Salt Lake City International Airport, which is located in the same neighborhood, just west of the area that flooded.
The rains heavily impacted Willow Place community in the Westpointe neighborhood. A drainage canal in the area overflowed into homes, yards and roads, leaving some with over a foot of water in their basements. David Durr, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, stated that the flooding was worse than some of the historic events that affected the city in the 1980s.
“(The) community is going to have to come together and help them. They don’t have flood insurance,” he said on Saturday.
City and county officials responded Saturday, hauling in truckloads of sandbags in an effort to combat the water. Pumps were also brought in to drain water from homes over the weekend.
Residents who have suffered damage and have questions about available resources are urged to call Salt Lake City’s emergency management captain at 801-251-6730. The city also launched a webpage with resources for flood victims.