Neighbors scramble to divert runoff waters in Wasatch County

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — Neighbors and others scrambled Wednesday to divert runoff floodwaters that were heading toward homes.

It was the second time in two days that flooding impacted the area south of Lake Creek Road near 3200 East with the water taking a slightly different track Wednesday afternoon, according to Wasatch County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hales.

“(Around) 3 p.m. it just went full raging again,” resident Martha Witt told KSL TV as neighbors rushed to put up sandbags on her property.

WILD scene in Wasatch County tonight…where neighbors and crews scrambled to keep some raging flood waters away from houses. Story @KSL5TV at 10p #KSLTV #Utah pic.twitter.com/He2wtIK4iC

— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) April 13, 2023

Neighbors had placed a couple of thousand sandbags Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon, diverting the water around homes and averting a direct hit to one home to the south.

“It started overflowing and I was afraid that that house would get flooded,” Witt said. “All these people came and took sandbags and diverted the water to save that house.”

Witt was moved by the effort.

“It’s just beautiful and amazing,” she said.

Hales also commended the neighbors’ actions.

“This community — all around Wasatch County — (they) are all stepping up to help their neighbors and they’re impressive folks,” Hales said.

Hales said the county in recent days had been busy with runoff-related flooding issues.

“Our folks in Heber City, Midway City — they’ve all been dealing with it to certain extents,” Hales said.

On Tuesday evening, Sgt. Josh Weishar with the Heber City Police Department said as many as four homes saw flooding to basements or garages due to runoff water near a canal around the east end of Cove Spring Way.

“It would get to where the canal was and the water would go underneath the canal,” Weishar said. “It would pool up on the side of the canal and it would kind of seep through the ground and continue to go down the hill.”

Hales said he expected the next two months to be very active with flooding issues in the county and he was grateful to all who pitched in to help so far.

“This is truly neighbor helping neighbor,” Hales said. “Thank you. Thank you for your work. Thank you for your efforts. And thanks for making a positive difference in what you do in our neighborhoods.”