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Bountiful gives out free sandbags to residents amid flooding

Posted at 9:54 PM, Aug 06, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-06 23:56:40-04

BOUNTIFUL, Utah — It’s not often that Bountiful has to activate its Emergency Operations Center, according to Greg Meyer.

“I've lived here in Bountiful, and I can account maybe four or five times that we've had to do this," he said. “It is awesome. There's nothing better than the heart of the volunteers.”

Heavy rainfall hit northern Utah Saturday afternoon, and the National Weather Service issued flood advisories in multiple counties. Volunteers in Bountiful spent more than an hour putting dozens of sandbags together for residents as soon as the flooding started.

“People who live in Bountiful, especially the burn scars [from] the fire we had about three years ago, sometimes that soil is still pretty unstable," said Meyer. "So people who live up in that area will need those sandbags to pile, put them in front of their homes to redirect the water flow.”

The city wants residents to have sandbags on hand ahead of big floods, Assistant Chief of Police Dave Edwards said.

“Sandbags can re-divert the water from going into your residence or down your driveway, those kinds of things," he said. "And just put it right back into the stormwater drains out in front where it can be moved away safely.”

The sandbags will be left out for Bountiful residents throughout the night outside the Public Works building at 950 S. 200 West.