SALT LAKE CITY — Residents of all ages came together to help pick up the pieces after Saturday’s flooding impacted one Salt Lake neighborhood near 800 North and Sir Michael Drive, near Interstate 215.
“About 9:00, 9:30 yesterday morning, my daughter said, 'Hey, the drain is not draining,'" said SLC resident David Durr. "So I went out, looked, and sure enough, it was low, but it wasn't draining."
“It has never been this bad, and talking to people who live in this neighborhood, who have been here 30-plus years, it has never been like this,” said Salt Lake Rose Park Stake President Lance Dunkley.
Neighbors formed an assembly line dumping out buckets of water, laid down sandbags, and practically transformed the street in one afternoon.
“No one ever hopes for a disaster like this, but it shows the character of the communities that when they come out to help somebody that perhaps they've never even met, that's incredible,” said Benjamin Donner, the executive director of the American Red Cross' Central and Southern Utah chapter.
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Dunkley organized the cleanup and said the city asked if Latter-day Saint members would be able to assist with efforts, and after what he saw the morning after, he knew he had to do something.
“We saw people, homeowners just trying to do everything that they could to get the water out of their homes, out of their driveways, out of everything else,” Dunkley said.
It seemed the word got out to the entire neighborhood.
“This family over here that we are helping, that I came over for, I talked to him yesterday when the flood was coming up and it was going in their basement, and they were just beside themselves, and I said, 'You just hang on. We'll be back,'” Durr said.
He added it’s important to show up in moments like these.
“I got water in my basement — not a lot, and that's kind of a new development of 11:00 last night. It started coming in. I know how they feel, and you feel hopeless, and you feel alone, and it's important,” Durr said.
The Red Cross is stepping in to distribute cleanup kits and assess homes.
Donner said while these events are tragic, he wants residents to take these moments to try and prepare the best they can.
“When it comes to floods like this, and being able to know what to do if and when that happens, if we have to get out, grabbing that kit, go. What if there isn't power or utilities for a short amount of time? Do we have the necessary supplies to be able to maintain that?” he said.
Donner added that the Red Cross will be assisting for as long as they are needed.
Dunkley said the cleanup, however, is far from over.
“The idea is, get all the water out today, let things dry out. We'll probably organize getting some fans and different things into the homes, and then in a day or two, come back and help start tearing out carpet,” Dunkley said.
Durr told FOX 13 News that his neighborhood’s streets have drained fine in the past, and it leaves the question of what went wrong.
“I just don't know what the problem is, but hopefully city officials are listening. Our community would really love to know why and what happened,” Durr said.
In the meantime, the community will be there, one bucket at a time.
“It doesn't surprise me because we are a community. We love each other over here,” Durr said.
According to the Red Cross, there were 27 homes with at least minor damage.
If you need assistance during this time, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcross.org.
