The Southeast Utah Health Department took time to come into Castle Country Radio to talk about residents preparing for possible flooding this spring when it comes time for the spring run-off.

“I think at this time of year there’s certain precautions and strategies that we can use that can help us prepare. The most important thing you can do is just stay informed. Keep up to date on the weather. Look at what local authorities are putting out. Keep your eyes glued to your weather app and just keep a close eye on that,” said Emergency Preparedness Planner, Eric Anderson. Knowing what the weather conditions are going to be will help keep you and your family safe.

There are things right now that you can do around the house to prep for flooding. “One of the biggest things that we recommend is keeping your gutters and your drains cleared, water can back up fast when it’s cluttered or if it’s blocked, so that’s a big step. The other thing is moving stuff to high ground. If you’ve had water move through your garage or a shed or even in to your basement in the past, make sure that area is clear and anything that you don’t want to get wet move it up to higher ground,” stated Anderson. Taking precautions beforehand will help to protect your home and belongings from flood damage. Sand bags are available at the county shed and at the city public works building.

It’s not only around your home that you need to worry about the dangers of flooding but when you go out to recreate you need to be aware of the weather and surroundings.  “You know our area is super beautiful but the geography also presents unique challenges, we have slot canyons. Everything that we do here generally happens in a draw or up on a ridge and so we just need to be alert of not only what water is doing right where we’re at but also up the canyon,” said Anderson. Knowing weather conditions before you go out is very important.

The Southeast Utah Health Department has several pointers and information about how to prepare for flooding. “Yes at https://www.seuhealth.com/ we have a good blog post about flooding right now. I think one of the biggest preparations that a lot of us don’t think of is if we do have to evacuate, that’s last case scenario. Whether we’re recreating or whether we’re at our house, make sure we have an emergency plan in place, make sure we have an emergency kit, some emergency first aid, that we’re thinking about our pets as well. We’re also thinking about elderly relatives or friends that may be close to us that may need a little extra help. Because with flooding sometimes you have a little bit of notice but sometimes you don’t so it just better to be prepared and stay a head of it,” said Anderson.

For further information on Flooding Preparation individuals can contact the Southeastern Utah Health Department at (435) 637-3671.