Flood In Colorado City/Hildale kills 7 more missing

[silverspoons]

It is crazy how it is 100 degrees for days and no rain for over a month and the next minute it is pouring rain and flooding in this area. The flash flooding hit Colorado city/Hildale hard today. Two vans with moms and kids got washed away. 7 people are confirmed dead and 7 more missing. Four confirmed dead were 3 young mothers and a 4 year old child. Very sad. I have lived through several bad floods here, including one that washed away our subdivision in 2005 and the help was incredible , I hope people can put aside religious feelings and band together to help the families.

I just heard from a neighbor the state of Arizona has not sent any help or issuing any warnings and there is bridge damage and still more dangerous travel areas.

http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archiv ... fekDGB_bIU

[RosyDaisy]

Actually, according to the National Weather Service, there were multiple flash flood warnings and statements issued for Mohave Co. AZ (Colorado City) and Washington Co. UT (Hilldale) specifically. If people had a weather radio, it would have sounded an alarm that would wake the dead. Trust me, I have one.

As for help for the victims, I don't know. That is something that is handled at the local and state level. Somebody does need to something. Nobody deserves this.

ETA: Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service offices not individual cities or states. Colorado City falls within Las Vegas office, and Hilldale falls within the Salt Lake City office.

[Jana814]

That's insane that this happened.

[quiversR4hunting]

As much as I despise Warren Jeffs and his teachings, I would never wish this on any family. I feel so bad for the people caught up in flash flood. What a sad tragedy for the families.

I really hope that Warren doesn't use this as a biblical rant that the people aren't subservient enough and take away even more "privileges" (he has taken away pretty much everything at this point).

[Howl]

As much as I despise Warren Jeffs and his teachings, I would never wish this on any family. I feel so bad for the people caught up in flash flood. What a sad tragedy for the families.

I really hope that Warren doesn't use this as a biblical rant that the people aren't subservient enough and take away even more "privileges" (he has taken away pretty much everything at this point).

Ditto.

Keep in mind these are fairly remote communities, and it will take awhile to get help. This is also a tight=knit community and neighbors will help each other.

This is very, very sad and I truly hope there are no more deaths, but I think there may be more missing than those reported as confirmed dead.

ETA I just saw footage of the flood on TV. Truly horrifying.

[quiversR4hunting]

Ditto.

Keep in mind these are fairly remote communities, and it will take awhile to get help. This is also a tight=knit community and neighbors will help each other.

This is very, very sad and I truly hope there are no more deaths.

I wonder how much outside help they will want. They are very secretive and tattle tale society (on each other) but they circle the wagons when outsiders are around. I doubt they would want outsiders to come help because then they might see something that would prompt a real investigation into the living conditions and/or ages of the young mothers.

And I agree with you, I also hope there are no more deaths but 7 missing is not good.

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

Those poor families! I truly hope that they receive help quickly.

I had previously read (I think in Carolyn Jessop's book,,,) that Jeffs had outlawed his followers from having TV's, radios or even reading the newspaper. I do wonder if that might have played a part in people not receiving weather warnings in a timely manner.

[Mary C Doates]

Politicsrusprinciple.tumblr.com has videos and links if you're interested in more information.

[silverspoons]

My husband has family in Colorado city and it turns out some of the victims were cousins. My husband has 2 brother's that live up there both are mainstream LDS and work jobs that are to help the community. His brother said they have found 1 more body and there is little hope that the other 5 which are strongly believed to be little kids will be found. They were hoping help would come this morning.

As for warnings there is really no news or real form of communication in southern Utah. St George has over 100k population, almost 200k if you count all the suburbs and there is no tv station, no local news and the newspaper is failing. We get news mainly from SLC which is over 300 miles away and has vastly different weather. I actually found out about the flood because my kids came home from school saying don't drink the water. Luckily I only drink bottled water due to the arsenic levels and have RO for cooking. I guess the water tested for dangerous bacteria and no one knew. I went on the volunteer written news website and found the flood and not to drink the water.

The only flood warnings are via the cable box and you have to have the cable box on. I see it flash EAS daily because our cable picks up warnings for up to 400 mile radius but unless I have the tv on I don't hear the warning. I am the only person who has cable in my area so it is not the best notification system. There is no cable in Colorado city. In both houses I have lived in there is no radio and poor cell service. There are many mountains and valleys and not enough transmittors to get signals.

To tell you how scary it is in 2005 there was a bad flood in st George. I lived in a subdivision that homes got washed away. The morning before I was outside with my kids because there were a few snowflakes which was rare. I took pictures and came inside. The next morning the school bus was late. I got a call they could not get down our road. I went outside to see the road was washed away literally in front of my home. Several houses were gone. To explain how high the water was there was a park across the street and the water was over the basketball hoop. I had no idea because it never rained and I heard nothing, I was just inside with my kids (my windows faced the mountains and I had just moved to Utah and never knew without rain that there could be a flood. All it took was that snow from the day before to melt fast in the mountains and come down the hill. I got no radio service and even my cell service was 1 bar if I was lucky and I lived in St George not a rural area.

What amazed me was we were trapped for a few days and there was no news or communication still. The LDS church made sure food was given out from everyone's storage supplies. In fact the LDS church was the only real source of help, moving people's belongings out, and getting all the homeless places to stay. In fact when we got out I went to a store to buy a radio and the store employees had no idea there was a flood. I ended up having to move and I moved on a hill and still my neighbors have no idea there was a flood that caused massive damage and swept away about 40 homes.

It is sad that 10 years after the flood of 2005 , nothing has changed. There is no better communication and the population is growing rapidly here. It is estimated another 13k people moved here this year. St George if counted properly would be close in population to SLC but has no real resources. Last year we had a freak snowstorm and it took a week to get plows to our area. Basically the city was shut down over 10 inches of snow for a week. It is worse for Colorado city because they are more landlocked then St George. To get to the county seat you have to cross two state lines.

I think right now some people are afraid of the risk of going up to help. There is another flood warning and rain right now. At my son's school there are kids from Colorado city who are there because they are serious about going to college. If this were just a clean up and search, the school would have let kids go and help but with danger of more floods the school will not let teenagers go up there. The other concern is the main bridge/road to AZ south (Fredonia) has sustained damage. If that goes out, it will be an extra 3 hours to get help to the area.

[SpoonfulOSugar]

This is showing up all over my news feeds. :(

What a tragedy. It's impossible to describe the suddenness and ferocity with which flash flooding occurs in the Southwest, and incredibly easy to be complacent or to underestimate what's coming. I cannot imagine trying to move through water in those prairie dresses.

I hope this unexpected attention and tragedy doesn't have negative consequences for an already vulnerable population.

[missegeno]

Thank you silverspoons for your overview of coverage/climate in St. George!

As for the families, this is just such sad news. These families have already lost so much since Jeffs came into power, and they have been feeling a lot of hurt lately as the evictions have gotten underway (the latter is happening for important reasons, but that doesn't mean the families who don't see it as such aren't feeling the hurt of losing their homes and having to camp in that makeshift shelter they set up). And with how much lip service they give to "bleeding the beast," I guess I am not surprised that the state help isn't flowing in from either Arizona or Utah. But this is the type of situation that should get people to look past those ideological differences, roll up their sleeves, and get helping.

[gustava]

These communities are not completely ignored by government entities. When a 5 year old boy went missing last month near Jacob Lake, government stepped in, including helicopters, to help look for him. Unfortunately, it was his body that was found.

And this: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc ... /72303720/

Officials said about 650 people were helping with the search Tuesday, including swiftwater search and rescue team members.

[ADoyle90815]

Those poor families! I truly hope that they receive help quickly.

I had previously read (I think in Carolyn Jessop's book,,,) that Jeffs had outlawed his followers from having TV's, radios or even reading the newspaper. I do wonder if that might have played a part in people not receiving weather warnings in a timely manner.

I seem to remember reading that as well, and I really feel sorry for those families who probably would have had more warning if they were able to have TV's or radios. As much as I despise Warren Jeffs, I never would have wished anything like this to happen to his followers.

[Jana814]

Such a tragedy. Does anyone know how many people were killed.

[quiversR4hunting]

Such a tragedy. Does anyone know how many people were killed.

per CNN - 12 dead 1 missing in HIldale (confirmed 6 kids, 3 women). In Zion National Park 4 people were killed and 3 missing.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/15/us/utah-a ... index.html

[FundieFarmer]

I think this could go one of two ways: that it will be used as an admonishment for sin for which everyone must atone (like stories in the FLDS escape memoirs), or the leaders of the community will have a "revelation" that will allow them to use the radio for that purpose. I think the first is far more likely, but anything goes with the FLDS, especially if they feel one of their leaders may be in danger.

Either way, this is really tragic. If they don't take steps to prevent it from happening again when they know it is evidently a very real and reoccurring danger, it adds another level of WTFery to their already-terrible societal construct.

[nokidsmom]

Given the risks of flash flooding in the area, it's surprising the the lack of communications as described by silverspoons. I hope that the FLDS community will allow radios after this tragedy. On our first trip to Zion in the late 90's we were ordered out of the narrows area by rangers running up the path with warnings about a flash flood. It was shocking to see the Virgin river go from clear and placid to a muddy raging torment in seconds. The flood tore out part of the main access road into the canyon, we got out just in time.

[church_of_dog]

Given the risks of flash flooding in the area, it's surprising the the lack of communications as described by silverspoons. I hope that the FLDS community will allow radios after this tragedy. On our first trip to Zion in the late 90's we were ordered out of the narrows area by rangers running up the path with warnings about a flash flood. It was shocking to see the Virgin river go from clear and placid to a muddy raging torment in seconds. The flood tore out part of the main access road into the canyon, we got out just in time.

There are weather radios that serve only that purpose -- no need for any heathen broadcasts, but still could be warned when needed. Flash flood country is notorious for the need for these kinds of warnings (as the deaths in Zion National Park from the same storm can attest) so it's not like they can claim ignorance of the need, if that's where they choose to live.

I too hope no one is "punished" for this -- they are suffering enough!

[Firiel]

I heard on the radio this morning that Utah is sending in help to the area.

This is such a horrible story. :(

[salex]

Those poor families! I truly hope that they receive help quickly.

I had previously read (I think in Carolyn Jessop's book,,,) that Jeffs had outlawed his followers from having TV's, radios or even reading the newspaper. I do wonder if that might have played a part in people not receiving weather warnings in a timely manner.

IF that is the case, they should get weather radios-- they don't play anything except the weather and send out very loud alarms when a severe warning is issued for the area. They are also easily available. Certainly that wouldn't be sinful!

[solacetea]

Inside Edition said that the FLDS see this as a sign of the coming apocalpyse, as judgment for wickedness. Other news sources say Mormons believe the end is coming next week (the 28th) and that prepper stores are selling out of stuff. What's that about? First I'd heard of it.

[church_of_dog]

Inside Edition said that the FLDS see this as a sign of the coming apocalpyse, as judgment for wickedness. Other news sources say Mormons believe the end is coming next week (the 28th) and that prepper stores are selling out of stuff. What's that about? First I'd heard of it.

Dunno if it's the exact connection, since this doesn't seem religious-based and certainly not Mormon-specific, but someone sent me this a few days ago: http://www.disclose.tv/news/alledged_classified_nasa_memo_leaked_houston_texas_to_be_hit_by_asteroid_on_september_28/122324?utm_content=buffer0432c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

My reaction: "They would have a bit more credibility if they could spell 'alleged' " :lol:

[NotALoserLikeYou]

One man lost his two wives and a bunch of kids. The death toll is at 18 with one missing. The Politics tumblr has their details.

stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2015/09/16/mgk-search-continues-for-missing-boy-after-hildale-flooding/#.VfrMl0i9LCT

[gustava]

Dunno if it's the exact connection, since this doesn't seem religious-based and certainly not Mormon-specific, but someone sent me this a few days ago: http://www.disclose.tv/news/alledged_classified_nasa_memo_leaked_houston_texas_to_be_hit_by_asteroid_on_september_28/122324?utm_content=buffer0432c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

My reaction: "They would have a bit more credibility if they could spell 'alleged' " :lol:

Wonkette also had a piece on this. In addition, I have (ex) LDS cousins and friends who've been concerned about this and link it to CERN restarting the LHC and opening a black hole or worm hole and blowing loosing evil into the world....or something.

[FundieFarmer]

What struck me so much about the photos on PoliticsRUs is the lack of emotion showed by anyone visiting the crash site. I would think in our world, you would see memorial bears and flowers etc, and images of people sobbing at the site– especially in a close-knit community. Instead, you see curiosity and typical FLDS serious faces. I found it especially shocking that small children were playing in the area as if nothing terrible had happened there...as if they weren't playing around the place where their cousins and friends had died. It really drives home the difference in the communities for me.