MUDSLIDES PLAGUE MANY UTAH CITIES
ksl.com
Weekend slides forced the closure of at least three canyon roads over the weekend and emergency officials are bracing for more moving debris because of steady rain predicted Monday.
Rocks tumbled down the hillside Sunday in Davis County’s Farmington Canyon, forcing the area to be shut down for at least 48 hours. This latest slide followed one up Santaquin Canyon and in Beaver Canyon, both closing roads until further notice.
In Beaver Canyon, two brothers on their way to a favorite fishing spot at 12:30 p.m. Sunday became unwitting witnesses to the aftermath of a tremendous amount of mud and debris that fell onto state Route 153.
The brothers, Shilo Joseph and James Joseph, captured the event on videotape using their cell phones.
“Approximately eight miles up the canyon, we were captivated to see the road covered in rocks, roots, branches, and mud. The destructive nature of the mud slide bathed the road in a natural mass of muck,” Shilo Joseph said. “A boulder approximately the size of a wreaking ball was set directly in the center of the river along with a newly formed dam from the debris.”
In Davis County, the sheriff’s office reported the Farmington Canyon road closed for 48 hours due the instability of the hillsides. Rocks covered the road at the first switchback, but no injuries were reported in the 4:10 p.m. slide., despite an emergency services manager and a deputy being on scene when the rocks came down.
