As Mayor of Heber I am concerned about the potential for anything that could cause harm or destruction in our city. With such a large snowpack this year and a cold spring it is time to consider the possibility of flooding and prepare accordingly. Hopefully the weather will warm up slowly and the snow will melt at a rate that will not cause problems but we are prepared in case things don’t go as planned.
Heber’s emergency management director has been working with the emergency management directors from Wasatch County and Midway City. We have a strong team of people watching the weather and flood warnings carefully. There are several things that can be done as citizens to help protect your home and neighborhood.
First, if you live near a canal or ditch keep an eye out for anything that might obstruct the water flow. Our public works department will be inspecting all of these waterways but it also helps to have more eyes watching in case something is missed or changes after it has been inspected. If you see an obstruction of any kind in a canal or ditch please call Heber City public works and report the location. The phone number is: 435-654-3275.
Second, if you are concerned about flooding there are sand bags available at Ace, Heber Ranch and Do It Best. If you purchase the bags they will fill them for you. Each of these stores has a large supply but it is best to be proactive and get these in place before any flooding begins.
The city has 300 sand bags filled ready to go and another 20,000 ready to be filled at a moments notice. Wasatch County and Midway are similarly prepared. If you have an emergency and need help our city employees will respond as quickly as possible. Again, it is always best to take care of your own needs but the city will do everything we can to help in time of emergency.
Finally, sign up with the city and county’s emergency notification systems. This will ensure you are notified quickly in the event of any emergency. The city website is heberut.gov and there is a link “community alerts” where you can enter your contact information and be notified of emergencies. The county website is Wasatch.utah.gov and there is an emergency management link where you can sign up for the Emergency Notification system as well as read the pamphlet the county has provided for emergency preparedness.