Santa Clara River Flood of 2005, St George, UT 84770

Lois & Jack Worlton
Riverwood, St George

Written by Jack Worlton

On Tuesday we were advised that our house was not in danger. Nevertheless, we put some essentials in our car, our prescriptions, our financial records, a laptop computer, and a few clothes, and went out to lunch. In the meantime, the river altered course and attacked the area just below our house. While we were gone, some of our good neighbors broke into our house, seeing that it was in danger, and took out a lot of the contents. However, they were not able to get everything because the house was in such danger that the Fire Department made them leave.

When we cam back, about an hour later, our house was inaccessible and there were still things in it we wanted to get out, but we couldn't get in. They had broken open the doors. Good neighbors that will break into your house in an emergency. They said the police officer tried to stop them, but they went in anyway.

About two-thirds of the house fell into the river, and a third hung there, and is still hanging there on the edge.

Financially, we could have sold the house the week before for about $250,000. In our dark moment of humor we said, "Well, we didn't lose everything. We still have our mortgage." That house was an investment as part of our retirement.

Sleeping is a bit of a problem. We wake up at night and worry and think and have a hard time getting back to sleep. Socially, we've lost a neighborhood and friends because most are still there and we're still here, but we don't live there anymore, We feel very said about that.

Losing a house isn't just losing a structure. We put a lot of our heart and soul into making it a wonderful place to live. People tell us they've tried to call us, but just got a busy signal. We tell them they're using the wrong area code. Call Mesquite, that's where our phone went.

Our philosophy is that a house is just a thing, and people are more important than things. We have each other and friends and family, and those are the most important things in our lives.
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