Flood — Western Unita Mountains, Utah

1998-12-26 to 1998-12-28 · Western Unita Mountains, Utah

Wider weather episode

The sudden arctic blast caused a rapid freeze on portions of the Strawberry River near Duchesne. The rapid freeze caused the water to surge over the top of the ice, creating huge slush flows. This caused a backup and the river flowed out of its banks, threatening a home. The river flowed through their yard, getting within 1 or 2 inches of the house. That was when 100 neighbors came to their rescue, bringing a backhoe, a tractor and plenty of sandbags. The house was saved, and the river diverted.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5676270. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.