Flood prompts declaration of emergency
Widespread flooding washed out roads and flooded structures in south Lincoln County, prompting the county commissioners to declare a state of emergency in the county Wednesday.
The declaration doesn’t signify any increased risk, Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency deputy Lisa Oedewaldt said, it just opens the door for funding support from the state.
“Declaring emergency doesn’t mean we’re at a higher risk of danger,” she said. “It’s just a mechanism for the county to request funding from the state if we exceed our 2 mills.”
Above average rainfall caused flooding in Callahan Creek, Granite, Libby, Parmenter, Flower and Keeler Creeks. The Fisher River and Yaak River were also flooding at record levels as of Wednesday.
“Lower Granite Creek was closed due to the road and culverts washing out,” Oedewaldt said. “Today (Thursday) the road crew is working to replace the culverts and fix the road. Parmenter Creek for the first time in eight years ran into the old creek channel but receded by the evening. It did get close to another house that is next to the bridge at Highway 2 but sand and sandbags were delivered in order for them to protect their home and sanitation facilities. Trainer Street had the end of the road wash out and being undercut by Libby Creek. County road crews were able to move a large spruce tree from the bank slowing down the erosion. Late last night it continued to wash out the road as well as taking out the driveway, fence and gate to the house at the end of the road. The county will be fixing that area to prevent further undercutting as it is a public road to public property. There was a small sink hole developing in the pull off area of Hwy 2 and Libby Creek. The Montana Department of Transportation was notified and they went to investigate.”
In Troy, a roughly 100-yard stretch of the St. Regis Road, also known as Garrison Loop, slid into Callahan Creek just south of U.S. Highway 2. Downstream, close to the point at which Callahan Creek spills into the Kootenai River, several homes and other structures were reportedly flooded by rising waters. The Timber Beast Disc Golf Course, on the bank of Callahan Creek, was also flooded.
Troy Mayor Darren Coldwell said the city had two crews operating pumps at the sewer lift station in order to prevent flood water from causing the sewage level to rise and spill out from the station. He also said crews were at the Lake Creek Dam around the clock, with all 13 stations fully open to accommodate the flood waters.
“I’m thankful for the power crews up at Lake Creek Dam,” he said. “They’ve been there since 1 a.m. and will be there all night. All 13 stations are open, that much water is flowing right now. Dirt can be moved, fires can be put out, but water has a mind of its own. You just kind of have to stand there and watch while it does its thing.”
Oedewaldt said crews were on alert all night Wednesday to ensure ice breaking loose in the creekbeds did not cause structural problems for dams and bridges.
“Flower Creek was monitored all night Dec. 8 and going into the early hours of Dec. 9,” she said. “Ice did flush downstream and crews were placed at Balsam Bridge to catch any of the large ice build-ups that were still upstream. By late afternoon the ice was flushed out and the creek was running high. It came close to going into the Rosauers parking lot but contractors diked up the parking lot side at the 90 degree corner to prevent it from flooding into the backside of Rosauers.”
The damage was apparent at Libby’s Flower Creek Dam, which is still under construction. City Administrator Jim Hammons said the flood waters washed the earth along one side of the dam, but did not damage the structure itself. Details of the exact level of damage and what would be required to repair it were sketchy as of Thursday afternoon. Hammons added the construction contract included set-asides for these types of situations, but the exact amounts available was as of yet unclear. He said the engineers are currently evaluating the damage and more information will be available soon.
Emergency Management Agency director Kirk Kraft said the county has made sand and sand-bags available for the public at Pioneer Park, the County Road Shop in Troy and at the Libby City Shop.
Residents unable to pick up sand-bags from those locations can call Lincoln County Emergency Management for assistance.
The Yaak area was the hardest hit with rainfall, according to information provided by the United States Forest Service. The Yaak Valley received 2.75 inches of rain between Dec. 7 and Dec. 9. The Troy area received 2.16 inches in the same time period, with the Fisher River area and Libby receiving 1.75 inches and 1.39 inches respectively.
Jamey Graham, assistant center manager for the Kootenai Forest Dispatch Center, said the rainfall levels were much higher than have been recorded in recent years.
“I took a quick look at the same dates from 2010-present and there wasn’t a year that was comparable to the rain we just saw the last few days,” she said.