NEWS LIVE: This report contains news live as it develops and is being updated continuously. Bookmark and refresh the page periodically for updates. Last update: 1:30 p.m..
SANTA CLARA – Update 1:30 p.m.: Santa Clara Drive is open. A small portion of Canyon View Drive below the retaining dike remains closed.
Update 12:15 p.m.: Water levels at the retaining dike in Santa Clara are very high. Authorities as well as city engineers are on hand monitoring the overflow system and a small part of Canyon View Drive is closed to allow for overflow to reach the storm drains.
“Right now we are just watching the dike…right now it is functioning like it should,” Officer Chad Holt, public information officer for Santa Clara and Ivins Police Department said, “the overflows are working…there is no concern right now.”
(report continues below)
Video by and courtesy of Dean Aspenberg, St. George News
Just as authorities have opened up lanes of travel on Interstate 15 through the Virgin River Gorge around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Old Highway 91 has now been closed due to flooding.
Travelers on Old Highway 91 are being stopped at Kayenta and not allowed to pass as torrential rains inundate the roadway. Travelers coming from the Beaver Dam area to avoid the Gorge, are also being stopped and not allowed to pass.
Authorities and cleanup crews have been working since early Tuesday morning to assist with flooding throughout Ivins including: Puerto Drive, Center Street, Main Street, Mesa Vista Road.
Rushing water from Puerto Drive is reaching all the way to Lava Ridge Intermediate School on Rachel Drive in Santa Clara.
“I woke up when the alarm went off and walked out to 8 inches of muddy water in my house,” Ivins City resident Paul Bradley said. “Now we are just cleaning up and trying to get all the mud and water out.”
Bradley’s neighbor, Gary Green, was shoveling mud and rocks out of the driveway and said he was just there trying to do his part and help out.
St. George News Reporter Hollie Reina contributed to this report.
Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.
Flooding in Ivins, Ivins, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Layne Bass, St. George News
Flooding in Ivins, Ivins, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Layne Bass, St. George News
Flooding in Ivins, Ivins, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Layne Bass, St. George News
Water levels rise as overflow system gets first test at Santa Clara retaining dike, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Water levels rise as overflow system gets first test at Santa Clara retaining dike, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Water levels rise as overflow system gets first test at Santa Clara retaining dike, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Water levels rise as overflow system gets first test at Santa Clara retaining dike, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Water levels rise as overflow system gets first test at Santa Clara retaining dike, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
The Santa Clara retaining dike releases water from the overflow system after heavy rain fall caused water levels to rise, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Kolby Ence, St. George News
Flood waters rush down through Santa Clara near Little League Drive, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2104 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Flood waters rush down through Santa Clara near Little League Drive, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2104 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Flooding closes part of Sunset Boulevard near Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Flooding closes part of Sunset Boulevard near Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Flood barriers and road detours can be seen in the Santa Clara Valley near Santa Clara Drive and Canyon View Drive, Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News
Flooding on Country Lane in Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Ariel Faber, St. George News
Flooding on Country Lane in Santa Clara, Utah, September 9, 2014 | Photo by Ariel Faber, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
Flooding on Puerto Drive in Ivins, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News
UPDATED Sept. 10, 8:39 a.m. video credit to Dean Aspenberg rather than his wife, Sharon.
Related posts
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.
Kimberly Scott is a lifetime resident of Southern Utah. In 2013, Kimberly joined St. George News as a vital member of its editing, reporting and administrative team. She is passionate about engaging communities through writing and is dedicated to providing complete and accurate coverage of both anticipated and breaking news.
How can the City Of Ivins spend thousands of dollars on roundabouts and sculptures, and not maintain a storm sewers. Mayor Hart told us two years ago that things would be fixed and we would never have flooding like this again. All the mud from 400 West running through Amber Estates.
What I just can’t understand, is the stupidity of people trying to drive around barricades and even sneak around officers that are at road closures. The road is closed for a reason, idiots!
Maybe they needed to get home to feed the kids and dog.
This is what can happen when you choose to live in a scenic area geologically unsound for residential housing. I can only imagine the inaccessible mess at Vista School on Center Drive, practically at the foot of Red Mountain.
It certainly increases flood risk when the city of Ivins lets the developer require homes to be built below street level in neighborhoods with inadequate drainage.