Floodwaters that poured into the yards and basements of up to 80 homes in Box Elder County over the weekend were receding Monday.
But Mark Millett, director of Box Elder County Emergency Services, stressed that any signs of relief likely will be short-lived.
Public-works crews were warily watching the skies as more rain and warm temperatures posed a risk for additional flooding through midweek.
"The weather ahead definitely has us worried," Millett said, noting that county officials likely will seek state and federal aid to offset an estimated $3.1 million in county flood-related costs.
A maddening combination of heavy winter snowfall, warm temperatures and steady rains caused the latest spell of flooding. In addition to "five to six dozen" homes affected in the Tremonton area, a mudslide came within feet of homes in the neighboring town of Garland on Sunday.
No evacuations were needed, but several residents took refuge with relatives out of the flood zone.
"These folks had 10 inches of snow on the ground just last week," Millett explained, "and, with the rain and warmer weather, the snowpack is turning into a layer of slush just sitting there that can just suddenly release."
Including agricultural flooding, where fields have become lakes that slop over rural roads, flooding has been widespread in Box Elder County for at least three weeks, he added. In addition to Tremonton and Garland, the communities of Honeyville and Ellwood also have been on flood alert.
Sandbag barriers around homes and outbuildings are a common sight in the mostly rural northwestern Utah county, especially along the mudslide-prone slopes leading to, and along the banks of, the meandering Bear River.
This past weekend, though, it was Tremonton, a town of some 8,000, that was busy stacking sandbags and pumping out basements.
Floodwaters even closed down a section of Main Street, between 1000 and 2000 West, Sunday night until about 8 a.m. Monday, when it was finally cleared and reopened.
remims@sltrib.com
Twitter: @remims
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.
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