Salt Lake County requests public help with sandbags

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Emergency Services is asking the public for help filling sandbags.

Clean up crews spent much of Wednesday cleaning out storm drains across the county, in anticipation of more stormy weather in the forecast but, they say their big need now is for volunteers.

Over the past few days, they’ve handed out thousands of sandbags, and they need help to get their stockpile full.

Some of those bags went to TJ Reese’s West Jordan home. However, much of the flooding had already happened there. His yard backs up to Mountain View Golf Course.

“There was about 8″ of snow there on Friday morning,” Reese said.

He explained things had changed dramatically several hours later.

“I looked through the back window and the whole backyard had turned into a lake.”

The water rushed into his backyard and ultimately flooded his basement. He says a Salt Lake County crew came to his house that night to line his yard with sandbags.

“We’re gonna leave the bags in place to be safe,” he said.

Reese says most of his neighbors have lived there more than 20-years. They’ve never had flooding like this.

“One in a 500-year flooding,” that’s what officials have told Reese.

Clint Mecham is the Director of Emergency Services for Salt Lake County. He says crews have focused on clearing storm drains today but where rain will cause flooding is anyone’s guess and he wants homeowners to be prepared.

“We could have problems all over the valley,” Mecham said. “The issues that we’re seeing right now are primarily hard surface or sheet runoff.”

If you would like to help fill sandbags, you can meet up at the Salt Lake County Sandbag Shed/Midvale Operations Public Works building, located at 604 W. 6960 South.

Homeowners can take up to 25 sandbags each.