Orem resident says floodwater trapped him inside apartment, had to drain before escape

OREM — Heavy afternoon storms affected multiple areas around the Wasatch Front Tuesday afternoon.

An apartment complex in the Orem area experienced especially bad hail and flooding. Efforts to clean the area are still ongoing. Volunteers flocked to Stonebrook Apartments with buckets to help dump floodwater from around the homes.

Floodwater could be seen filling up basement apartment areas, with residents guessing around two feet or more of water still lingering as of 9 p.m.

Most apartments affected were ground or basement level, towards the front of the complex which sits at the bottom of a hill.

One person living in a basement unit said he was stuck inside the home until enough water had been pumped out for him to get through a window.

“I thought, I probably need to leave,” Javier Matos said, after hearing screaming and the downpour of rain. “But when I tried to open the door, it couldn’t open. All the water pressure didn’t let me open the door.”

Shannon Matos said she watched while her husband was stuck inside. Now, she said all they can do is wait until the floodwater is gone before taking the next steps with insurance.

“So we’re just kind of waiting to see what damage we have now,” she said.

The efforts to pump out floodwater were still active as of 10 p.m.