DENVER – FEMA has now approved more than $6 million in Public Assistance grant funds as part of ongoing recovery work from flooding in Utah last year. 

A major disaster declaration was granted for five Utah counties on December 23, 2023 for flooding that occurred in May 2023. In the five months since the declaration, the state and FEMA have worked together to help communities in Iron, Morgan, Sanpete, Utah, and Wasatch counties with recovery projects. 

• Utah County debris removal – 
  • $1,200,000 for debris removal in the Hobble Creek Basin and the Payson Basin. Approximately 40,000 cubic yards of sand, mud, silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders will be removed and hauled to permitted final disposal sites. 
  • $3,930,000 for debris removal from Thistle Debris Basin. An estimated 128,000 cubic yards of sand, soil, and mud debris and 3,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris will be removed to protect the county’s flood control works.
  • $1,200,000 for debris removal in the Santaquin Debris Basin. Approximately 42,000 cubic yards of sand, silt, mud and boulders will be removed. 
• Morgan County culvert replacement - $31,162 in federal funding for replacement of a large culvert that is a critical part of the county’s storm water drainage infrastructure. 
• Wasatch County debris barriers - $160,962 in federal funding for replacement of damaged debris barriers along Guardsman Pass. 

FEMA continues working closely with the state of Utah to formulate and submit projects for funding approval from each of the declared counties.