UTAH COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — With widespread wet weather expected for most of the state, Utahns are gearing up for potential spring flooding. A sandbagging station has been set up at the Wasatch County Public Works Department to accommodate the surrounding communities like Heber City, Midway, and Charleston. 

The filling station is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. With most of the Wasatch Back trending 150% or more above average snowpack levels right now, residents know there is a lot of water to melt down.  

“We’ve had so much snow that once the snow starts to melt in the mountains, including rain,… the combination of the two could be overwhelming and possibly flood homes,” said Dagmar Jewkes, a Heber City resident.

The Wasatch County Public Works has not had to provide sandbagging since 2017.  

The filling station first opened last week and will stay open for as long as it is needed. 

“We have plenty of sand and sandbags for people to come who are citizens of Wasatch County and get their needed resources to help protect their homes,” said Jeremy Hales, director of emergency management at the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office. 

John Dipiero, a Heber City resident, visited the filling station today to get some sandbags to protect his storage unit.

“It’s not that much of a slope, and they have had a hard time keeping up with the snow, so it’s piled all up in the center of the parking lot, and it’s just going melt and go into everybody’s units so I’m just trying to be proactive and keep my stuff dry,” Dipiero said.

Residents are asked to scan a QR code at the station to report the number of bags that have been filled so the city knows where their resources are being utilized.

“We appreciate our citizens and the proactive work that they’re making in protecting themselves as you can see here, and the work we’re doing in the preparedness level will help us in the recovery and response level,” Hales said.  

Heber City Public Works is also urging its residents to be weather ready by clearing snow away from the foundations of homes and creating paths for water to flow away from the residence and garage as well.