200 homes impacted by Beaver flooding; water order still in place, mayor says

BEAVER — Approximately 200 homes were impacted by flooding after quick, heavy rain fell on the Cottonwood Fire burn scar on Sunday, city officials said.

Part of the Grove neighborhood remained evacuated south of the Beaver River Channel on Monday, after evacuations were ordered on Sunday. Others on the north side have been allowed to return to their homes.

Some affected properties suffered significant damage, while others were spared from serious problems, said Beaver Mayor Matt Robinson. The American Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter at the Beaver High School gymnasium.

"We feel very blessed to be able to avoid serious injury or death," Robinson told KSL on Monday. "The amount of water that came out of the Beaver Canyon yesterday, it's hard to explain. I mean, we've all seen pictures and videos. I saw some of it with my own eyes. It was incredible."

Sunday's storm dumped 1.59 inches of rain within 45 minutes near Eagle Point Resort in the middle of the Cottonwood Fire burn scar, KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said. That sent excess water and debris into the Beaver River, which topped a diversion dam in Beaver Canyon as it made its way down to the city.

Some residents had to be rescued from their rooftops, as water and debris came rushing down. A section of I-15 was closed for hours as water and debris covered the roadway.

KSL Chopper 5 flew over the flood damage Monday morning, witnessing sections of state Route 153 in the canyon covered with mud and debris, while some appeared to be washed out entirely. The highway was already closed because of the fire.

Beaver residents were also told to drink bottled or boiled water until further notice due to damage to the culinary water system, a portion of which was "washed out" by the flood, Robinson said.

The state helped Beaver officials prepare for flooding, including placing sandbags in some areas and having "heavy equipment" in place to clear debris for any debris flows, but the flooding that took place exceeded what everyone had expected, said Gov. Spencer Cox.

"This was bigger than anybody anticipated," he said on Monday. "Our hearts are broken for those who have lost their property (or) had their homes flooded."

Utah officials deployed multiple resources right away. State emergency and transportation officials have met with local leaders over the damage and infrastructure loss, including damage to the water systems in the area, Cox said. He added that the state is also working with federal officials to assess the damage, including anticipated damage costs.

In the meantime, city officials hope to lift the emergency water order by midday Wednesday, depending on the results of testing to ensure the water is safe to drink, Robinson said. Residents can still use city water to wash hands or shower and bathe.

Nearby communities and organizations are working to provide food, water and supplies to Beaver as residents deal with the flood's aftermath.

"People are really amazing," the mayor said. "It's sad to go through a disaster like this … but one of the silver linings definitely is to see really how amazing people are."

Beaver's planned Pioneer Day celebration later this week is still scheduled to take place, as of now, Robinson said.

However, Beaver and many communities across Utah aren't out of the woods just yet. Weather models indicate that showers and thunderstorms are expected to linger across Utah this week, with "increased flash flood potential" across many parts of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, Johnson said.

The National Weather Service issued more flood watches that cover most of southern and central Utah on Tuesday, which could be extended to later in the week. It notes that areas close to recent burn scars, like the Cottonwood Fire, are at higher risk, as are any slot canyons, flood-prone terrains and poor drainage areas.

"The atmosphere is going to be primed for pockets of heavy rainfall," Johnson said. "Not everyone will see the heavy rain, but the storms that do form are definitely going to be capable of some very heavy rainfall, even in valley locations."

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