OGDEN, Utah — Residents across Ogden spent Monday cleaning up after powerful weekend storms brought strong winds that damaged trees, power infrastructure and other property throughout the city.
At Ogden's Green Waste Disposal Site, residents hauled away fallen limbs and other debris left behind by the storms as they prepared for the possibility of more severe weather this week.
Steven Whited, who has lived in Ogden for decades, said this year's weather has been unusually intense.
"It's just been a different weather year," Whited said. "The downdrafts were so strong last night that they tore the facing off of our door to the backyard."
Whited said he has made dozens of trips to the city's green waste facility this year to dispose of storm-damaged branches and yard waste.
"I've brought here probably 30 or 40 loads bigger than this of limbs this year," he said.
The weekend storms caused widespread damage across parts of northern Utah, toppling trees, damaging carports, and knocking down power poles. Ogden City Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Hess said crews responded to significantly more calls than usual following the storms.
WATCH: Severe weather causes flooding, downed power lines, event delays in Ogden
According to Hess, the department received between 80 and 100 calls within a 24-hour period. On a typical day, the department handles between 60 and 75 calls.
One incident highlighted the dangers posed by downed utility lines.
"We had a crew respond out to what they thought was a communications line that was down, and it was actually energized and arching into a tree," Hess said. "Just be careful. Never approach them. Stay away from them."
City leaders say they had crews ready before the storms arrived and were prepared to respond when damage occurred.
"Ogden City, what's nice, is that this isn't our first storm," said Meg Sanders, communications specialist for Ogden City. "We usually have a crew on standby, which was the case for Saturday. So if things go down, they're here at the green dump, clearing a spot for residents to bring in their debris."
Sanders said Ogden City has been coordinating cleanup efforts with Weber County, Rocky Mountain Power and other agencies.
While much of the storm damage from the weekend has already been addressed, city leaders and residents alike remain on alert as monsoon season continues and additional storms remain in the forecast.
