Breaking News:

UTAH

Officials urge against sandbag hoarding, saying “leave enough for your neighbor”

Apr 12, 2023, 2:47 PM | Updated: Apr 13, 2023, 12:15 pm

sandbag hoarding...

Salt Lake City fire engineer Craig Beckstrom moves sandbags while responding to flooding outside of a home on Chancellor Way in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015. (Kristen Murphy)

(Kristen Murphy)

SALT LAKE CITY — The increasing need for sandbags across Utah right now is resulting in a new problem. Sandbag hoarding and reselling in bulk.

The snowpack is melting and flooding neighborhoods all throughout Utah. The cure for the excess water? Sandbags. In a similar COVID-19 toilet paper-hoarding fashion, sandbags have begun to disappear. 

Host of KSL at Night and partner at Morgan May, Taylor Morgan said this is unbecoming of Utah. 

Specifically, Morgan told Dave and Dujanovic Utahns are quick to help their neighbors. That has held true through recent flooding. But hoarding sandbags goes against this. 

“Unfortunately, the very worst of us, there are a few people… we have some folks that try to profit off the crisis,” said Morgan. 

Further, Morgan said he attempted to orchestrate a youth project in Draper where they filled sandbags and left them for the community. It never came to fruition. 

Draper is no longer allowing residents to just come and pick up free bags because so many bags and so much sand disappeared,” said Morgan. “They have now had to implement a requirement to show identification to prove you’re a Draper resident. And they’ve had to limit sandbags to 15 per household.”

According to Morgan, if you go on Facebook Marketplace, people are selling sandbags for $10 a bag. 

Salt Lake County Emergency Management Chief Clint Mecham confirmed Morgan’s findings on Dave and Dujanovic. He stated that there have been issues with sandbags disappearing from fill station sites.

“We’ve had instances where we’ll put out 1,000 sandbags at a location and an hour later all the bags are gone but the sand [piles are] still there,” said Mecham. 

Mecham said he is asking everyone to stick to the 25 bags per household per day and avoid sandbag hoarding.

“Be very very conscientious of leaving enough for your neighbor or the next person that may need sandbags and not going down this path of taking more than you need,” said Mecham. 

Solutions beyond sandbags

To utilize the sandbags you have available, SLCO has videos on how to stack and spread them to alleviate flooding. 

If for any reason you can’t get your hands on a sandbag, there are other ways to prepare your home.

To start, clear debris from streams and gutters before the water rises. If you live near a stream, keep an eye on the water level. 

Finally, if you see clogging in any areas, SLCO advises residents should engage their city resources for local drainage. 

Flood volunteer opportunities:

Related reading

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Utah

Gov. Cox signs union bill into law...

Becky Bruce

Gov. Cox signs union bill into law, despite protests

Gov. Spencer Cox signed HB267, also known as the union bill, which would ban collective bargaining agreements for government employees.

4 hours ago

Multiple groups are saying the federal employee layoffs are likely to have impacts on Utah, especia...

Heather Peterson

Federal employee layoffs likely to impact Utah’s national parks

Multiple groups are saying the federal employee layoffs are likely to have impacts on Utah, especially in the state's national parks.

6 hours ago

FILE - Police Chief Mike Brown and Mayor Erin Mendenhall providing an update on the "Crime Preventi...

MICHAEL HOUCK AND BRIAN CARLSON, KSL TV

Mayor Mendenhall says she forced SLCPD Chief Brown to resign

The mayor of Salt Lake City confirmed that it was her decision to make the city’s police chief step down.

7 hours ago

FILE - Utah Capitol building. Utah lawmakers begin 2025 session. Utah Legislature is again in sessi...

Adam Small

Utah lawmakers opt not to vote on bill that would make it easier for child case workers to obtain warrants

Utah lawmakers opted not to vote on HB83, a bill that would have made it easier for case workers to obtain search warrants.

8 hours ago

Five people were injured in a crash on Trappers Loop on Friday....

Kennedy Camarena

5 people injured, 1 critically in crash on Trappers Loop

Five people were injured after being involved in a crash on Trappers Loop on Friday.

11 hours ago

Image of new single family homes under construction in the South Jordan area of the Salt Lake Valle...

Simone Seikaly

Lawmaker looks toward Utah Inland Port, other development, to ease Utah housing crunch

Utah Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore looks to the Utah Inland Port for answers to Utah's housing issues.

13 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Officials urge against sandbag hoarding, saying “leave enough for your neighbor”