Executive Document

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Declaring a State of Emergency Due to Flooding and Landslides

WHEREAS, the State of Utah experienced flooding, landslides and debris flows on August 8th, 2019 due to a severe storm system which moved through Salt Lake and Utah Counties; and

WHEREAS, the storm was an estimated 500 year event in Little Cottonwood Canyon and produced up to 3 inches of rainfall in under an hour; and

WHEREAS, several State and local agencies - including the Department Of Transportation, the Unified Police Department, Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources Division of Utah Geological Survey, Utah Highway Patrol, Salt Lake City Public Utilities, and Salt Lake County Emergency Management - responded to the event and are involved in continuing clean up, recovery, and repair efforts; and

WHEREAS, the flooding and debris flows caused major road damage to State Route (SR)-210 in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County and along US-6 in Utah County, trapping (stranded) motorists, damaging utilities, depositing debris on the roads and in the rights of way, and causing Salt Lake City to shut off their drinking water supply from the creek due to high turbidity; and

WHEREAS, culverts in Little Cottonwood Canyon on SR-210 and in places on US-6 are damaged and clogged and will cause larger ongoing flooding and damage if not repaired and/or replaced before winter; and

WHEREAS, Salt Lake County and UDOT rescued 35 vehicles stranded between landslides, with several people having to take emergency shelter overnight before the roads were reopened; and

WHEREAS, SR-210 and US-6 are highly utilized and heavily trafficked routes and there is threat of future washout damage and road failure; and

WHEREAS, damage assessments, clean up and debris removal, road repair, and recovery and mitigation efforts are ongoing and require additional funding and assistance;

WHEREAS, these conditions do create a "State of Emergency" within the intent of the Disaster Response and Recovery Act found in Title 53, Chapter 2a, Part 2 of the Utah Code Annotated 1953, as amended;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gary R. Herbert, Governor of the State of Utah, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State of Utah, do hereby order that:

It is found, determined and declared that a "State of Emergency" exists due to the aforesaid circumstances requiring aid, assistance, and relief from State resources;

I HEREBY ORDER THE CONTINUED execution of the State Emergency Operations Plan and assistance from State government as coordinated by the Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Utah on this, the 9th day of October 2019.

(State Seal)

Gary R. Herbert
Governor, State of Utah

ATTEST:

Spencer J. Cox
Lieutenant Governor, State of Utah

2019/007/EO