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Utah National Guard tends to Box Elder County flooding

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Residents of neighborhood near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton pump standing water away from their homes into the street and a nearby retention pond Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

The Utah National Guard went to Box Elder County on Wednesday to help with flooding problems that also brought out the lieutenant governor to view the scope of the damage.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox checked out the area that in recent days has been inundated with water from runoff of melting snow in the valleys.

Cox saw the extent of the water from the air and the ground.

"I don't think I really realized the scope of the flooding and just how wide and broad it was," Cox said by phone Wednesday night.

On Monday, floodwaters had poured into the yards and basements of up to 80 homes in Box Elder County. And in downtown Tremonton on Sunday night, flooding closed a section of Main Street, between 1000 and 2000 West.

Mark Millett, director of Box Elder County Emergency Services, said Monday that county officials likely would seek state and federal aid to offset an estimated $3.1 million in county flood-related costs.

Cox said the region would have to amass more than $4 million worth of damage before the state requests federal funding, a figure he said would likely be exceeded.

By Wednesday afternoon, 12 soldiers with the Guard's 97th Troop Command and Homeland Response Force were filling sandbags at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds, the Guard tweeted. Cox said 30,000 sandbags were filled to help prevent houses from being inundated.

Still, Cox said, one house in the area had 6 feet of water in the basement.

Cox said possibly hundreds of homes are battling water that rose along with the temperatures over the weekend and into the start of this week.

Emergency managers welcomed the latest winter storm that rolled into the area Tuesday night, bringing chances of snow and colder temperatures.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Standing water collects in field near the fairgrounds in Tremonton Monday Feb. 20. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding due to the rapid snow melt dnd rain over the weekend and rain. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area but is now open.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Standing water collects in field near the fairgrounds in Tremonton Monday Feb. 20. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding due to the rapid snow melt dnd rain over the weekend and rain. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area but is now open.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Residents of neighborhood near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton pump standing water away from their homes into the street and a nearby retention pond Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Wellsville Mountain in the distance still hold much of the winter's snow. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Residents of neighborhood near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton pump standing water away from their homes into the street and a nearby retention pond Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Wellsville Mountains in the distance still hold much of the winter's snow. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Vicki Summers mans the pumps near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton to pump standing water away from her daughter's home and into the street Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Wellsville Mountains in the distance still hold much of the winter's snow. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Residents man the pumps near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton to pump standing water away from homes into the street Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Residents of neighborhood near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton pump standing water away from their homes into the street and a nearby retention pond Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Wellsville Mountain in the distance still hold much of the winter's snow. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Amanda Mikesell, left, and her mother Vicki Summers man the pumps near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton to pump standing water away from homes into the street Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Wellsville Mountains in the distance still hold much of the winter's snow. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Amanda Mikesell, left, and her mother Vicki Summers man the pumps near 125 North 1650 West in Tremonton to pump standing water away from homes into the street Monday Feb. 20 before the next storm drops more rain. Wellsville Mountains in the distance still hold much of the winter's snow. Parts of Box Elder County have seen surface flooding from the rapid snow melt and rain over the weekend. Luckily these homes do not have basements but water rose nearly to the front doors of some homes. Main Street in Tremonton from 1000 to 2000 West was closed last night to pump out the area.