Overnight rains bring low-level flooding to saturated Utah

More than an inch of rain overnight in already-saturated Utah swelled rivers and creeks, causing some flooding in low-lying areas and a call for those living along banks to be on the watch for worsening conditions.

Early-morning flooding in Box Elder and Cache counties could be a precursor of what the rest of the state could be seeing throughout the spring.

Gov. Jon Huntsman said emergency officials were prepared and "ever vigilant" for flooding that could break out across Utah over the next few days.

Southern Utah is on high alert for a possible replay of January floods on the Virgin and Santa Clara rivers and "we're going to monitor this very carefully," Huntsman said Thursday at his monthly televised KUED news conference.

Steady deluges of rain have caused the problems in the north. "It's been raining about a month," cracked Larry Dunn, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

To the south, rain coupled with the expected runoff from a larger-than-normal mountain snowpack could potentially flood parts of the region later this spring, officials have said. Last January's flooding caused about $200 million in damage in the area.

Problems in northern Utah started just after 6 a.m. when the Box Elder Creek in Brigham City doubled its normal 5-foot width and flooded at least three homes.

At least one reported damage, said Brigham City Administrator Don Tingey. The extent of that damage wasn't immediately known, however.

In nearby Logan, the Logan River breached its banks in at least two places in town, and city crews were scrambling to remove a tree from the top of Crockett Dam to prevent water from backing up.

Sand bagging efforts were underway in Brigham City, but Logan Mayor Doug Thompson said officials there were not certain such measures would be needed before rising waters crest late Thursday.

"The water is rising, sand baggers are out and at this point, we're knocking on doors," Tingey said.

City and county officials were personally visiting homes along the creek, making residents aware of the flooding potential. Residents were not being evacuated from their homes.

"We're trying to make them aware of the potential," Tingey said.

Other rapidly rising water beds included the Weber River around Morgan, the Blacksmith Fork near Logan and the Little Bear River in Cache Valley, Dunn said.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Thursday for Logan, Providence and Paradise in Cache County. The Blacksmith Fork was expected to reach flood stage at 7 feet on Thursday afternoon, expecting to flood some homes in the Blacksmith Fork Canyon and Country Manor subdivision.