1983 Flood Q&A with Merrill Gillette

Several weeks ago when I came across some historical documents related to the 1983 floods, I noticed that Merrill Gillette was listed as the director of the Ninth Ward flood assessment. I sent him the following questions and he promptly typed his answers. It has taken me a while to get them into the blog, but I think you'll find them interesting. For some of you, they may bring back memories. Feel free to type up your own memories, if you'd like, and I'll share them. Or leave some thoughts in the comment section.

Here's a link to that earlier blog post. 

Q1. During the flood of 1983, when did you first realize that there was a serious problem underway?

A1. I do not remember how I learned of our local flooding here in Ward boundaries. I do know that it was not too long in the first day that I became aware of the problems across 4^th East (Orchard Drive) between 2nd and 3rd South and across 3^rd East and 2^nd South.

Q2. Did you experience flooding yourself? What kind of damage occurred to you?

A2. We did not experience any problems here on 3^rd East between Center Street and 1^st South. We had more water than usual running in the gutter but that was all.

Q3. How did you come to learn that a major flood was underway? Did you receive a phone call?

A3. I do not remember how I was informed of the flooding at any of the locations mentioned in the first bullet; very possibly by phone. My wife Jean was recuperating from knee surgery and I was recovering from one of my back surgeries, so neither of us would have been considered as individuals who might help.

Q4. What time of day did this take place? If there were people calling, when did that happen? If people were going door to door, when did that happen?

A4. There possibly was some phone calls but neither of us remember any door to door visits.

Q5. What were the first emergency steps? Evacuation? Who was evacuated? Where did those who were evacuated go? Who got to stay in their homes and who had to go? 

A5. I was late getting into the situation so I don’t know about evacuations etc. I do know that when I got involved the day care building was empty except for a couple employees. The Arben home didn’t seem to be occupied but I did not check the home. The Blamire home was occupied which was across the street on the opposite corner. That home was not affected until the sewage backed up into the basement. Eventually, the Arben home was flooded as well. I do not know where the children were taken when they first had to evacuate but I do not know of any problems. The Bigelow's were probably evacuated as the stream ran right, nearly along the foundation, by their home and they did experience some flooding in the basement.

Q6. Describe the damage. Was it a flash flood or did the water rise slowly and there was time to get out? Was it primarily water or was it a mudslide as well? Did boulders and large logs plow through the area?

I do not believe that it was a flash flood but rather a very rapid rise in the amount of water flowing down hill, which left time for any needed evacuations. Other than the day care building any evacuations were on an as needed basis. There was considerable mud along with many rocks and logs which led to the blockages on 4^th east between 2nd and 3rd South and between the day care building and the Arben home forcing the water to flow above ground some of the water was diverted along 4^th East and down 2nd South where it went back into the stream bed on the Northwest corner, of the 2nd South and 3^rd West intersection. The stream ran behind the South Davis Hospital on 4th east and 5^th South streets and flowed into the orchard of Lord Lloyd Buringham and then made a sudden turn to the left going past the Buringham home and thence to the culvert at 4^th East between 2nd and 3rd South near the Bigelow home. The streets had to be dug up and the culverts replaced and many streets had to be resurfaced resurfaced after the flooding was over.

Q7. What did the emergency response look like? Who was involved? Were there rescues or was there time to get everyone out safely? Were "civilians" permitted to stay behind to help with sandbagging and the like?

A7. For a while a National Guard Construction Co. was on site to help with some of their equipment. The city was overwhelmed with the magnitude of the flooding so there was some little help directly from the city except it seemed that there was not a time that we did not have the sandbags that were needed when needed. Mostly, the workers on site were those who you refer to as "civilians." I walked over to see what was going on with strict instructions from my wife not to get involved; at the time I was using a cane to walk. I went back home changed my shoes to wading boots and went back to see if I could help in some way. Sometimes when the water was getting ahead of us I would help with a sandbag and then another and soon I did not know where my cane was and had to call out to see if anyone knew where it was and soon here it would come up the line to where I was. Everyone there were volunteers most from the ward area and from the ward just south of our 9^th ward. Even my mother got involved she made a huge pot of soup and showed up from her home in Salt Lake City and served the soup until it was gone. The next day there she was again with her huge pot of soup and she continued to aid in that way as did many other individuals. So we had plenty of water and food some of it warm which helped a great deal.

Q8. How long did it take for the waters to recede? How long until people could return and begin cleanup efforts?

A8. As best as I can recall it took nearly a week for the waters to begin to seem to not be running as much as at first. Remember that it took longer for the flooding to begin to abate because it affected nearly the whole State of Utah. New lakes were created and some towns were obliterated entirely and the railroad lost a whole work place and had to create a new tunnel all near Thistle. About this time my brother Ronald Gillette with his family came to visit from St. Louis MO. He was in the Coast Guard as a high-ranking Petty Officer. Anyway, he was given an assignment to learn how Utahn's were doing so well in having volunteers doing the work of sand bagging and getting the water to run in the streets. So what we were doing here in the 9^th ward was echoed through the State and noticed in some very high places.

Q9. What was the Church's involvement in this entire episode? Individual house owners? National Guard? City employees? Volunteers?

A9. Each ward that was affected by the flooding immediately assumed responsibility for their own areas, each stake took responsibility to provide volunteers from unaffected wards and assigned each ward to their sister wards. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided funds and man power from unaffected stakes. Help was directed to the areas in the most need such as at Thistle where homes were threatened and later overcome but most belongings were removed in advance of the water. The individual homeowners and businesses that were threatened were of course responsible to move their belongings and if help was needed to ask for it. The day care had a refrigerator and some file cabinets that needed to be moved to a higher area. There was a small stage about 3 feet higher than the floor and they asked for help to move these items to the stage where the water did not reach. The toys, etc. were moved to an area across the street on Blamers' property until they could be picked up. Everyone seemed to understand their own responsibilities and acted appropriately. The National Guard provided the heavy equipment and appropriate trucks to remove and move items of debris that could not be moved by volunteers. The city was acting appropriately in trying to keep the city operating and providing the resources needed as when streets became rivers, traffic had to be rerouted this became a time in which the criminal element could take advantage of the situation so that police had their hands full as well as the fire department. I cannot say enough about the volunteers that I had the opportunity to work with they were wonderful and that includes the 9^th ward volunteers. Don’t forget the wonderful volunteers who worked tirelessly on the flooding on the north part of the ward.

Q10. What did cleanup efforts look like? How was the ward involved? Attached is a document that captured those heavily impacted in the ward. How were efforts coordinated with insurance companies or other relief measures? How long did the cleanup efforts continue?

A10. The first priority was to get the streams back into their normal beds. All the blocked culverts had to be dug up, which meant closed streets for a period of time. The stream that flowed in the south part of the ward from the Buringham home/orchard to the north west corner of 2^nd south and 3^rd east was buried in a larger culvert. The debris from the yards and streets had to be removed. Flooded homes had to be dried out including the removal of dry wall to well above the high water mark. Mud and debris had to be removed from homes/basements including the day care. Equipment had to be borrowed or rented to help with larger projects of cleanup and some dealers loaned at no cost their equipment and personal to help with the mess. It probably took several years to complete the entire cleanup and as a total building of debris ponds and dams to slow the flow of water and which can be cleaned out as often as needed. The creek that did so much damage to the south end of the ward is totally encased in concrete from the upper debris pond to the outlet near the Great Salt Lake. The same for many other creeks from Farmington to North Salt Lake. I cannot answer the questions about the insurance, etc. because I was not involved in any of it. In fact no one has ever asked me any questions about the entire episode until you ask me today. I am not a hero or anything else just a volunteer who tried to help as best he could.

Q11. Who else in the ward should I send these questions to?

A 11. Michael Stapley, John Jarman, Chuck Evans, Lynn Larsen, Lloyd Carr (he may have printed the book that was written shortly after,) Stick Hill, David Bigelow, Roy Van Orman (the creek runs as his back yard boundary), and any others who were in the Ward at the time. These that I have listed are those I consider who would have the answers.