Enoch residents encouraged to document damage, volunteer hours to help city qualify for disaster funding

Written by Jeff Richards
August 3, 2021
Aerial photo showing flooded neighborhoods in Enoch, Utah, Aug. 1, 2021 | Photo taken by Scott Draper, courtesy of Rob Dotson, St. George News / Cedar City News

ENOCH — Less than 48 hours after devastating floods swept across the streets and yards of Enoch, city residents and officials continue to work toward helping the community recover.

Players and coaches on Canyon View High football team help repair a ditch, Enoch, Utah, Aug. 2, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson said on Tuesday at least 294 homes were affected by the flooding that followed Sunday’s torrential rainstorm, which dropped nearly 3 inches of water in just over an hour in certain areas. City officials declared a state of emergency that same evening.

The temporary American Red Cross shelter set up at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 451 E. Midvalley Road continued to bustle with activity as community donations kept pouring in. Many people were seen arriving to pick up and take various needed items, including food, water, clothing and cleaning supplies.

The church even sent down a semitrailer filled with new supplies, including shop vacuums, pry bars, hammers, gloves, masks, mops, brooms and cleaning kits.

St. George News / Cedar City News parent company Canyon Media is accepting donations at its office at 3143 S. 840 East #100 in St. George, with KONY Country 99.9 personalities Marty Lane and Amy Chesley. They took the first shipment to Enoch on Tuesday afternoon. Visit the station’s Facebook page for more details on how and where to drop off needed items, which will be delivered to Enoch daily.

With warm, sunny weather favoring Enoch on both Monday and Tuesday, residents have been continuing to clean out soggy items from basements and garages. Large dumpsters have been placed at locations throughout neighborhoods, and residents are invited to avail themselves of the opportunity to dispose of any ruined belongings, including mattresses, carpeting and furniture.

Dotson said the Iron County Landfill has reportedly received more than a half-million pound of debris in the wake of the latest storm. Residents can also make their own trips to the landfill, where they won’t be charged the usual dumping fee, county officials have indicated.

Volunteers help manage donations at a chapel used as a Red Cross shelter, Enoch, Utah, Aug. 2, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Dotson said Enoch residents who’ve been affected by the flooding should go to the main page of the city’s website and click on the black button that says “Storm Damage Reporting.” They will then be able to fill out and submit an online form describing the nature and extent of the damage to their property and belongings. Dotson said that out of the nearly 300 homes believed to have been affected, only about 90 residents have submitted a response so far.

Additionally, Dotson said anyone who has helped by volunteering at any time during the recent series of storms since mid-July should fill out the form called “Volunteer Hours Reporting,” the button for which is also prominently placed on the city’s main webpage.

Dotson said the data collected via both reports is crucial in helping the city qualify for federal disaster relief funds.

“That is the way that we’re going to get the information that we need to make an application for assistance from FEMA,” Dotson said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “There’s a dollar amount tied to every volunteer hour.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, emergency management officials, joined by firefighters and public works officials, were going door-to-door performing in-person property damage assessments.

Dotson, who’d appeared alongside Enoch Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut at a news conference at Cedar City Regional Airport on Sunday night, commended the city’s residents for being so willing to pitch in and help each other out.

“This is an amazing place to live,” Dotson said. “And when people come together, there’s nothing we can’t fix.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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