Utah homes evacuated as river overflows onto streets

HUNTSVILLE, Utah (KUTV) — Several homes were evacuated north of Salt Lake City after river water breached sandbags and flooded roads Sunday.

Officials said two homes received a mandatory evacuation order, while residents in 10 other homes evacuated voluntarily near the South Fork Ogden River.

One homeowner told 2News they had 45 minutes to leave their home Sunday morning as a result.

Flood water also spilled onto State Route 39, impacting some traffic.

It was reported that approximately 30 to 40 homes have sustained water damage in the area.

Weber County Emergency Management crews have been out all day to help with flooding. Approximately 4,000 sandbags were filled on Sunday to stack around impacted areas.

The area between Causey Reservoir and Huntsville was most impacted, officials said. Some roads and campgrounds were also flooded in the Monte Cristo area.

A Flood Warning was in effect in the area Sunday, and no end time was initially provided.

Across the state's northern mountain range, called the Wasatch Front, homeowners report the groundwater is so saturated that water is bubbling from their basements.

Officials from the Utah Geological Survey said some areas in Utah are experiencing a unique type of flooding where groundwater saturation has caused water to bubble up from beneath the ground, leading homeowners to report incidents of flooding.

Farmers along the Bear River north of the state's capitol saidfields are either underwater or inaccessible due to flooded roads, the farmer's distress grew as thriving hay fields transformed into aquatic habitats, raising concerns about the long-term impact.

"It definitely creates a lot of stress. It keeps you up at night, but we try to do the best we can to try and save what we can," said Alex Ross of Ross Farms.

The extent of the flooding blurred the distinction between the Bear River and the adjacent farm fields.

"Behind me here is the tree line, and on that tree line is supposed to be the peak of the riverbank on the other side," Ross said.

However, Ross said more than half a dozen fields are completely submerged or blocked off from flooded roads.

Efforts were made to mitigate the damage caused by the seeping floodwater.

"We've been running a pump to pump it back into the river to try and make it where we can [reach] those hayfields," Ross said.

But, for now, there’s water fowl where hay should be growing and people can fish where cows should be grazing, all on an area that normally produces 100 to 120 bales per acre.

"We might be able to salvage some of the fields, but not all of it," Ross said.

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Bailee Woolstenhulme, representing the Utah Department of Agriculture, acknowledged the challenges faced by the farmers.

"Right now, we, unfortunately, do not have any financial type resources available. We are working on that," Woolstenhulme said.

In the midst of the waiting and worrying, farmers like those at Ross Farms found comfort in the support of organizations such as the Farm Service Agency. The agency offered assistance for property repairs and livestock losses.