CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) – Iron County has declared a state of emergency after flash flooding caused serious damage in and around Cedar City on Monday.
Extreme weather conditions have been pummeling Southern Utah not only over the last few days, but on and off for much of July.
The challenges Cedar City has been forced to navigate, including running out of sandbags and losing power to the city office Monday afternoon, left officials little other choice than to ask for help. Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson-Edwards took to social media to officially declare a State of Emergency based on the flooding, Monday.
During a Tuesday press conference, Iron County officials announced the state of emergency.
Mayor Wilson-Edwards says Cedar City received over two inches of rain within an hour. She says the city’s infrastructure and systems were overwhelmed.
Officials are now working to access the damage, assist those affected by the flooding, and prepare for severe weather that may happen again in the coming days. In total, about 20 people have been displaced by flooding. That does not include those living in student housing at Southern Utah University.
Interim President Mindy Benson says Southern Utah University, in addition to the damages to student housing, has seen damage campus-wide. Currently, students are able to stay within student housing, but there are concerns as the start of the semester nears.
Iron County Commissioner Mike Bleak says the county has issued the state of emergency to help its smaller communities receive what they need to recover from the damage. He explains they may not have seen as much damage as Cedar City, but still have plenty to recover from.
