With the ongoing search for the last victim of the tragedy that unfolded earlier in the week during the Hildale flood, assistance is badly needed. The communities of Hildale and Colorado City request help from the public.
Six-year-old Tyson Lucas Black is the last person still missing from the tragedy.
According to Washington County Emergency Services, donations are being requested for the victims of this week’s floods. The Flood Victim Donation Center is set up at Hildale-Colorado City Public Works, located at 450 N. Maple in Colorado City, Az.
Hildale residents would benefit from the following resources:
Snacks and water
AA batteries
Degreaser cleaner
32 feet of shelving
Minimum of 12×12 sections of fake grass for memorial purposes
The community is also requesting assistance with the fire department in replacing a 7,000-10,000 kilowatt generator that was damaged during the incident.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced more than $100,000 in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) funding to assist Washington County and Hildale in response to the flash-flood events in southern Utah.
“On September 14, 2015, ravaging flash floods carrying large amounts of debris caused damage to the community of Hildale, Utah, and resulted in the loss of several lives,” stated the NRCS. “A municipal water pipeline was severely damaged and washed out, and several of the roads, bridges and road crossings on the drainages were damaged and filled with debris and sediment.”
“This is such a devastating tragedy for the community of Hildale and the State of Utah,” said state conservationist Dave Brown. “We are thankful to be able to bring our assistance to the area and work with local sponsors to prevent further damage from any additional storm events.”
The Emergency Watershed Protection Program was set up by Congress to respond to emergencies created by natural disasters, such as floods and fires. The program is designed to protect life and property from any future event of a similar magnitude. EWP projects are administered by the NRCS state office in Utah in partnership with local sponsors, usually county governments.
In Washington County, NRCS engineers and other specialists have met to assess the damage with local and state officials. The funds will be used in high-risk areas to remove debris, protect the municipal water line, or protect homes and road crossings. The work will move forward through an agreement with Washington County, which was signed today, and on-the-ground work will begin as soon as possible.
“We appreciate the opportunity to again partner with Washington County to help in the flood recovery, and we will work together with other local and State agencies to use these funds effectively” said Bronson Smart, state conservation engineer.
