From Deseret News archives:

Floods hit Utah: Cache, Brigham City are among hardest-hit areas

Published: Friday, April 29, 2005 9:11 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Northern Utah residents and emergency officials, from the Idaho border to Utah County, hope to see the sun this morning and hope it brings a reprieve from the drenching the region received Thursday that caused rivers and canals to jump their banks and flood homes, fields and roads. No deaths or serious injuries were reported.

"We're excited" about the sunny forecast, Cache County Sheriff's Capt. Kim Cheshire said. "We're getting a break."

Emergency crews anxiously watched northern Utah rivers and reservoirs late Thursday. Some were expected to peak by midnight, then subside. The most worrisome spot early today was Hyrum Dam, which officials said might yet overflow.

Action taken weeks before to clear waterways of debris and massive volunteers efforts to sandbag the banks of swelling creeks and canals were credited with keeping the damage minimal.

At the northeast end of Utah County's Cedar Hills, emergency workers kept an overnight watch on a hillside where a large slab of earth was moving toward townhouses whose occupants were evacuated Thursday night. By 8 p.m., the mud had moved about 6 feet. By 9:15 p.m., it had moved another 2 feet, Cedar Hills Councilman Jim Parker said.

"It's anybody's guess at this point in time," Parker said. "It'll depend on the weather."

Residents of eight townhouses were evacuated. Gas was turned off and workers were deciding whether to disconnect power to the homes.

Story continues below
"I know at least one (family) is with family and others have been put up in hotels by the builder," Parker said. "These are very new townhomes."

A small amount of dirt, gravel and rocks were trickling into the townhomes' backyards.

Other homes in the area are not affected. Mudslides have occurred in the hills in that area of town about five years ago, Parker said.

While rain fell nearly statewide, Cache County was the hardest hit. More than 2 inches fell in a 24-hour period in some places, resulting in nearly every community experiencing some flooding, with the worst of the waters hitting the small town of Nibley, just south of Logan.

Floodwaters from the Blacksmith Fork River forced the closure of U-165, a north-south thoroughfare that provides access from Logan to Hyrum and Paradise. The river jumped its banks, gulped down farm fields — leaving horses with drenched, matted fur cornered into the edge of one soaked field — and swallowed the road.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image

Dale Wiscomb, left in orange hat, and other volunteers place sandbags Thursday in an effort to stop the flooding of homes from Box Elder Creek in Brigham City.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

Provo star leads Bulldogs to win

You just posted that comment bring up the fact that we haven't dominated in...

Hapring is not going to retire until the end of the year. If he did, he...

Max Hall issues apology

I also think Max should have shut his mouth and been a gracious winner. He...

10-year-old's 911 call saves mom

What a hero. My husband is a diabetic and we have taught our children how and...

Those of you who think this man, Mitchell, is just ok, and fine and dandy,...

Quality wins, bad losses for Utes

This year they have two seniors. It will be a rough year. Starting next...

Huckabee's seeming - actually certain - demise is made worse by the fact that...

Being a devout UTE fan, I doubt all Max's personal reasoning was true, but...

To Great News! No, Christ is NOT the reason for Christmas. As they always...

It really ticked me off when I buy a piece of furniture and find all those...

Advertisements