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Flood Watch 2023
As historic levels of snow have fallen throughout Utah, concerns and attention now turn to flood prevention. Fruit Heights City is asking all residents to be vigilant in watching and monitoring the snowmelt around homes and neighborhoods.
TIPS TO PREVENT FLOODING:
- Check all rain gutters and downspouts to ensure that they are draining properly and that down spouts are piped away from the home’s foundation a minimum of 10 feet.
- Check all window wells to make sure that they are free from debris, leaves, and vegetation so that water drains properly out of them.
- Place sandbags around the lower areas of your home such as window wells, and along the top of walkout basement stairs.
- If your driveway slopes down into your garage/home, have sandbags available to keep water running down the curb and not down your driveway.
- If your home is equipped with a sump pump for ground water, make sure that it is functioning properly. It is also recommended that you have a sump pump available in case it’s needed to pump water out of your window wells and/or walkout basements.
- If there is a storm water drain box in front of your home, please help the city by making sure that it is open so that water from the curb can flow into it.
FILLING SANDBAGS:
Fruit Heights City is providing a free, self-fill sandbag station for residents. Bags may be picked up at City Hall (910 S. Mountain Road). Residents will be directed to a filling station to fill the bags. The City provides empty bags and sand. Residents provide shovel. Residents must fill, haul, and place bags where needed, and must properly dispose of sandbags when no longer needed.
- Bring shovel to specified filling location
- Wear gloves to protect your hands
- Having a partner is helpful. One person can hold the bag open while the other shovels sand
- Fill each sandbag 1/2 to 2/3 full of sand. This will take approximately three large shovelfuls of sand in each bag. DO NOT OVERFILL. Sandbag will weigh 30-40 pounds
- Tie bag at the top of the bag, allowing bag to lay flat
- DO NOT OVERFILL BAG
PLACING SANDBAGS:
Sandbags are a quick option to prevent water from entering the house through the bottom of doorways and some windows. Properly filled and placed sandbags can act as a barrier to divert moving water around, instead of through, your home. Sandbags are designed to be placed OUTSIDE the home. Place bags in the way of a door or other entry point, like a window, for the best chance of flood control.
- Clear away rocks, leaves and mulch where the bags will be placed, so bag sits flush to the ground
- Start stacking, but don't stack too high - typically no higher than 2 to 3 layers
- Once in place, stomp on bags to fill any gaps and help press bags tightly together
SUMP PUMP:
Heavy snow or rainfall can raise the groundwater level around your home, which can cause flooding when the water seeps into a cellar, basement or crawl space. A sump pump, a type of submersible pump, is most useful in this situation. It is best placed in a low area in the basement/crawl space of the property. When water reaches a critical level, the sump pump is automatically or manually switched on and it removes the water from the basement to an outdoor drain or drainage area. Sump pumps can be purchased at many locations, including hardware stores and online.
MESSAGE FROM LOCAL & STATE OFFICIALS:
Message from Fruit Heights City Manager
Davis County Flood Control
Press Release from Davis County Commission
USEFUL LINKS:
FEMA Flood Map Service Center | Search By Address
IF YOU SEE AN AREA WHERE WATER IS COLLECTING
- Call the City at 801-546-0861 during business hours Mon - Fri 8 am - 4:30 pm
- Call the Davis County Sheriff's Office at
801-451-4150 afterhours or weekends.
IF YOU SEE DEBRIS BLOCKING A STORM DRAIN GRATE
- If you can easily remove debris such leaves or litter, please do so. Please notify the City if further work is needed.
- The City works to keep the streets and drains clean, but at this time of year, snowmelt may bring new debris down that can clog and block drains. Check storm drain grates near your home. The City will provide bags and gloves if you would like to clean off a grate near your home.
IF YOU SEE FLOODING OR HIGH WATER ALONG STREAM CHANNELS IN THE CITY
- Please stay safely away from these areas, and call the City. We are monitoring creeks and streams in our city, and are expecting they will be running extremely high.