UTAH'S FLOOD WATCH

Homes evacuated, damaged after flooding in Kaysville

Apr 12, 2023, 5:27 PM | Updated: Apr 17, 2023, 11:45 am

KAYSVILLE, Utah — Kaysville City’s public works director believes the devastating flooding and millions of dollars in damage at the Orchard Ridge Community may have been caused by a blockage in the drainage system.

“Until we are able to stabilize things we won’t know exactly what happened, but right now the initial reports are that we got a storm drain got plugged overnight,” Josh Belnap, the public works director said. “We’ve been watching it closely on a daily bases and it seemed good, continual function. Something last night happen don’t know exactly what or what happened.”

The National Weather Service of Salt Lake told KSL TV no stream or river has reached flood stage and that these flood reports are the result of infrastructure failing: including the retention basin in Wasatch Hollow and overwhelmed storm drains in Kaysville.

NWS is monitoring Emigration Creek, the Weber River and Silver Creek in the Heber area for flooding and said it’s a matter of “when not if.”

For Ivory Homes in Kaysville, the water caused tens of millions of dollars’ worth of damage. Many of the homes just weeks away from being finished.

“Just too much water in the wrong places and it starts right here,” Michael Parker the vice president of strategy with Ivory Homes said.

He showed KSL TV exactly where it all started. A small creek at the top of the hill above the homes where it overflowed and sent a river of water down the street. That water ate away dirt and caused huge sink holes, some of them up to 12 feet deep.

“This creek has been dry for the last four years,” he said. Parker says this all had to do with the engineering of the drainage system before they arrived, and that’s why he doesn’t believe they are to blame.

“We don’t feel like we are in a position of fault currently and that something happened. That debris has come into our system and caused a huge failure,” he said. “I’m confident in our guys and the infrastructure they put in, in hundreds of neighborhoods across the state. We’ve got to work with homeowners and the city because of someone not seeing ahead.”

Ivory Homes released a statement about the flooding saying they were working, “arm in arm with the Kaysville City until the situation is resolved.”

“We’re trying to divert it from the homes, you can see what happened down there,” says Gary Jones, who spearheaded a volunteer army in this Kaysville neighborhood. “At this point, we’re just trying to shore up the sandbag river in the street, if you will, as much as we can.”

Kate Harris her family just moved in to their brand new house *last night after a long wait. Now they are evacuated, until further notice.

“I’ve been told it will be months,” Harris tells KSLTV. “I don’t think I’m mentally capable of being out there right now.” She says as she looks at volunteers filling up sandbags.

Jones says he and the other volunteers are ready to help out any of those who have been evacuated. “At this point, we’re not sure that they have to be evacuated, but if they do, all of the neighbors around here and the church is going to help take care of it.”

But Belnap says it’s way too early to start pointing fingers. “I think everybody’s natural tendency is to [point fingers]. I don’t even think we are to the point where we can best guess what caused it. Who done it.”

KSL 5 TV Live

Utah's Flood Watch

Utah Lake water release...

Alex Cabrero

Utah Lake release sends 300 million gallons of water a day into the Great Salt Lake

The Utah Lake control gates in Saratoga Springs opened Thursday morning to release water into the Great Salt Lake.

2 months ago

(KSL TV)...

Mike Anderson

Tons of sediment cleared from Logan River to protect power generators

Tons of sediment is being pulled from the Logan River as part of a project to clean up power generators.

3 months ago

Crews work on flood mitigation in Eagle Mountain...

Brittany Tait

Eagle Mountain’s project to reduce flooding threat

After an unseasonably rainy spring, certain neighborhoods in Eagle Mountain witnessed multiple floods. 

6 months ago

A man skateboards with an umbrella as it rains in Salt Lake City on Aug. 22. Utah water officials s...

Carter Williams, KSL.com

How impactful have this year’s monsoons been for Utah’s water supply?

Utah's monsoon season is slowly winding down, but not before leaving an impact on Utah's reservoirs in various ways.

7 months ago

A line of storms rolls through Salt Lake Valley on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Spenser Heaps/ Deseret...

Carter Williams, KSL.com

Flood watches, wind advisories issued as Hilary’s remnants eke past Utah

Several flood and high wind advisories remain in effect throughout Utah most of Monday, and even into Tuesday, as the remnants of Hurricane Hilary move through parts of Utah.

7 months ago

Sandbags were stacked at the Intermountain hospital in Cedar City as the area expected more floodin...

Lauren Steinbrecher

Cedar City braces for more flash flooding

Preparations were underway Friday for flash flooding in parts of Southern Utah, as communities like Cedar City work to make sure they don’t get a repeat of what the storms brought Thursday.

7 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Homes evacuated, damaged after flooding in Kaysville