SPANISH FORK, Utah, May 1, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall has issued an Emergency Declaration for actual and potential flooding in the city.
Based on current forecasts, officials are expecting high and fast flows in the Spanish Fork River.
“The runoff this week is going to test our river’s capacity,” Mendenhall said in a prepared statement. “City crews have done a lot of work in preparing the river channel for the snow melt and volunteers have shown up in force and filled thousands of sandbags over the weekend. Issuing this emergency declaration is the next step as we start reacting to the river.”
Mendenhall took the step in part to get potential access to state funds and resources, the news release says.
“The river is constantly changing and it’s bringing a lot of debris downstream,” Mendenhall added. “Right now, one of our biggest concerns is bridge capacity. If water can’t go under the bridge, we want to help get water over the bridge and away from homes and businesses.
“We also want to ensure that no new debris is added from homes and businesses along the river that could create a dam. We have a good plan in place, but it’s time to be even more serious about being safe around the river.”
As the river water gets faster and higher, all residents should stay safe by staying out of the river, keeping children & pets far from banks, and avoiding river recreation, the city statement says.
Spanish Fork City is also looking for volunteers to help fill sandbags today (May 1) until 8 p.m. and Tuesday between noon and 8 p.m. Volunteers should sign up at spanishfork.org/flood before coming to the fairgrounds.
Follow Spanish Fork City on Facebook and Twitter @spanishforkcity and check spanishfork.org/flood for the most complete and updated flooding information.
Find the mayor’s proclamation below:
Spanish-Fork-flood-proclamation
