How surveillance cameras will help respond to potential flood areas

AMERICAN FORK, Utah — Surveillance cameras are now being used to help combat the rising flood waters around the state.

It’s thanks to a partnership between the state and an American Fork company.

The cameras look much like surveillance cameras law enforcement put in areas that need extra monitoring.

They’re solar-powered, which makes it relatively easy to put them anywhere and get more eyes on what’s happening as the melt picks up.

“We are at a heightened state of alert right now and that coordination is happening through the Department of Emergency Management,” Gov. Spencer Cox said at an event in American Fork Wednesday.

He explained emergency managers will be able to use these cameras to keep an eye on many parts of the state from one central location.

They can send out help as needed.

“It’s a team approach, all hands on deck,” American Fork mayor Brad Frost said.

He called it a big deal to have this kind of help from a local business – Live View Technologies, or LVT.

While only a handful of cameras are up right now more than 20 others will go online over the next couple of days.

Cox said, “I want to say it looks great so far. We feel really good about things but the downside is I just traveled all the way up through northern Utah. I went all the way to Rich County, over to Bear Lake, and then down to Logan and what I saw is there’s still way too much snow up there that hasn’t even started to melt.”

Local governments will also use the cameras to monitor their areas. Anyone else who wants to check in can do so here.