PINE VALLEY, Utah — After battling wildfires, Pine Valley residents are now preparing for a new threat: mudslides and flooding in burn scar areas.
A 20-minute monsoon hit Pine Valley in the late afternoon, triggering flash flood warnings just as residents gathered for a town hall meeting to discuss post-fire concerns.
Fire officials said the storm was "a blessing in a way" as it revealed potential debris paths that residents will face as future storms hit areas now vulnerable after the fire cleared vegetation.
"Tonight, with what's going on, I guess we have more matters to be concerned about with flooding," Jody McDonald said.
McDonald was among Pine Valley residents seeking answers about what comes next. She faces a particularly difficult situation.
"We're right now trying to figure all that out. We've lost our home. And due to some issues with insurances, we were uninsured. Been a family home up there for almost 40 years. And so right now we're just trying to figure out how and if we can rebuild," McDonald said.
Washington County Commissioner Gil Almquist announced that permit fees are being waived by the county for those looking to rebuild. However, residents expressed concerns about being dropped by their insurance companies, while others like McDonald didn't have insurance when they lost their homes.
Longtime residents are bracing for the inevitable floods that follow wildfires.
"We are in a house across the street from the chapel. The home has been in our family for generations. We're at the bottom of a hill, and it makes me a little bit nervous, the potential for flooding this year," Susan Cannon said.
Forest officials have already created a preliminary expected debris flow map showing the most likely flows in red, primarily on the east side of town where the fire line reached Main Street.
Officials acknowledged that floods are expected and can't be completely prevented. Their goal is to mitigate the flows to minimize property damage.
Residents at the town hall were encouraged to fill sandbags and take them home as a precautionary measure.
