TOOELE, Utah, June 19, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued two warnings early Sunday afternoon.
One is for “Fire Weather Concerns continue across portions of Utah,” says a tweet issued at 1:06 p.m.
“A Red Flag Warning will continue as a result, until 6 p.m. for the West Desert & through 10 p.m. for southern and eastern Utah. Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation & follow local fire restrictions.”
A graphic shared with the message says gusts of 50 mph are expected, and they, combined with humidity level as low as 5%, creates “widespread critical fire conditions.”
See the affected areas in the map below.
At 1:10 p.m., NWSSLC issued special weather statement intended for parts of Tooele County. The threat of high winds there, also estimated to reach 50 mph, was expected to last for the next hour.
People in the area shown on the provided map were asked to seek shelter in a sturdy structure. For updates, click here.
The high winds that swept through Utah Saturday peeled the roof off a woman’s house in Tooele, she says on a fundraising page asking for help.
“Today I received a message from my neighbor while I was working,” Hollie Hochhaus wrote on her GoFundMe page.
“She sent me a picture and told me the wind took my roof off. I rushed home to find a huge mess and that my roof was indeed torn off.”
Hochhaus wrote that she owns her home, but it is uninsured, she says, because her insurance company told her it was too old.
“So this is 100% an out of pocket expense that is bigger than me as a single parent. The American red cross responded to my situation providing me with $515 in emergency funds. The fire department was out here and said that they will have to send the city out to inspect the damage and they told me they may deem it as unlivable until it can be repaired.”
Hochhaus said she will get official estimates as soon as she can.
“Right now I’m expecting to be facing some very large expenses not only for the repairs but to possibly keep shelter or any other expenses that may arise during this time.”
For updates, click here.
Parts of Tooele County were placed under a Dust Storm Warning during high winds on Saturday. Drivers were urged to pull well off the roadway due to “near zero visibility has been reported from State Troopers.”
