Former Utah senator describes Washington County flood losses, urges $2.5 million private fundraising push

Former Senator Dave Watson told the Utah State Senate, which had resolved into a committee of the whole to hear him, that flooding in Washington County caused extensive home losses and that private fundraising is underway to back recovery efforts.

Watson presented a commemorative book documenting the Southern Utah floods, saying, “This book was put together in less than 30 days,” and that the fundraiser effort printed “10,000” copies, with “over half of them already gone.” He described the physical toll on local neighborhoods: “There were over 20 homes that were actually damaged, gone, collapsed into the river. Another 20 are precariously seen on a cliff. They may be stabilized. They may not be. Probably another 60 homes are damaged by water.”

The former senator said organizers have formed a 501(c)(3) committee to coordinate recovery work and that a dinner at the Salt Palace that evening was part of the fundraising plan. “Our goal is to raise about 2 and a half million dollars privately to help put those people back in their equitable position where they stood prior to the flood,” Watson said.

Watson also thanked the Legislature and governor for support to date and “for the low interest loan that’s been received by the county and cities,” though he did not specify the lender or program that provided that loan. Senator Hickman moved that the Senate resolve into a committee of the whole for the purpose of hearing from Watson; the motion was approved by voice vote.

Next steps mentioned were the ongoing fundraising event and distribution of the commemorative book; Watson characterized the effort as a major private supplement to recovery work in Washington County. The committee reconvened into regular session afterward.