Mudslides Damage Homes in Utah; No One Is Injured
SANTAQUIN, Utah — People chased from their homes by mudslides surveyed the mess Friday: cars scattered, power knocked out and about three dozen homes damaged by mud 7 feet deep in places.
The mudslides Thursday night caused $2 million to $5 million in damage, but no one was injured and all of the roughly 50 homes evacuated were still standing.
“I thought the mountain was pretty solid,†said Matt Gurr, whose home has a hole in its back wall punched through by a chunk of Dry Mountain.
“You just don’t think it’s going to happen to you,†said Gurr’s wife, Paula.
The slides in Santaquin, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, followed a week of wet weather in drought-stricken Utah.
The city spent thousands of dollars reseeding Dry Mountain after a wildfire last year left it bare of vegetation, which helps hold soil in place. The drought may have prevented the seeds from taking root.
The biggest slide was perhaps 500 yards across and caused most of the damage. Another slide as wide as 300 feet blocked a canal east of Santaquin and caused more flooding, Utah County sheriff’s Sgt. Yvette Rice said.
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