Heavy rains cause flooding in Saratoga Springs neighborhoods

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A flash flood in Saratoga Springs flooded homes and streets Saturday night, leaving many residents stranded.

At least two dozen homes in an area west of TalonsCove Golf Course were severely affected as water and mud flowed into basements, Saratoga Springs officials said. Some of those homes were evacuated late Saturday and a temporary shelter was set up at a local church.

Redwood Road at 2000 South was closed because of a mudslide. Backhoes and dump trucks were helping clear the roads from the mud and debris late Saturday.

Other Saratoga Springs residents evacuated earlier were not allowed back into their homes until late into the night. Many families were parked in lots waiting to be allowed to return.

Powerful water streams even caused some cars to float down the road, creating additional difficulties for residents driving to and from the area.

The storm first tore through Tooele County, then moved east into Utah County, dropping intense rain, hail and winds as high as 60 mph. About an inch of rain fell between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., resulting in the flooding.

That rain fell at least in part over the burn scar of the Dump Fire that blazed through the hills above Saratoga Springs in late June. The burn scar allowed large amounts of water to flow.

Rocky Mountain Power reported no power outages in the area.

The Utah Red Cross offered to provide assistance to those residents displaced due to the rain and mudslides. A makeshift shelter was set up at an LDS meetinghouse at 2947 Swainson Ave. just before 11 p.m.

Contributing: Sam Penrod

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