News you can use
News you can use
J.P. Weigand walks toward dry land after having to evacuate from his house due to rising water Thursday in Chinook. The water was high enough that is was nearing his front door. "It's just not stopping." During his walk Weigand said that water at times came up to his waist.
Sheep avoid water that has reached their pasture Thursday on Kelly Swenson's land south of Chinook. The water to the right of the truck reaches "up to a man's chest" according to Swenson.
A man helps dig a dirt barrier around Kelly Swenson's house which lies south of Chinook. Swenson had three men helping him overturn dirt in an attempt to hold back the rising waters.
Floodwater continues to rise in the Milk River, although official reporting stations show that the worst may be over - for now - in some locations, but where it will stop downstream still is unknown.
A National Weather Service gauge reported the Milk River near Harlem was at 24.18 feet at 9:30 this morning - up about an eighth-of-an-inch from 8:30 a.m.. The record flood level is 25.7 feet.
Blaine County Public Information Officer Mark Weber said this morning the river is still rising, though its rise has slowed in Chinook, and officials don't known when and how high it will crest.
"We're holding our breath," he said.
He said water that was coming into one part of Chinook from the north - not from the Milk - was being diverted back out of the city.
A mandatory evacuation had been ordered for the north side of Harlem, but that was lifted Thursday, he said.
While the cities are not flooding, Weber said residents near the river and its tributaries outside of town had to evacuate.
"I don't have any estimate of the numbers, but there are quite a few," he said.
Milk, Big Sandy Creek dropping
In Hill County, although they are still above flood stage, National Weather Service reports Big Sandy Creek and Milk River near Havre have crested and are starting to drop.
Big Sandy Creek had dropped from a peak of 14.63 feet - flood stage is 8.5 feet - late Wednesday and was at 11.55 feet at 9:30 this morning, still in moderate flood stage.
The creek is forecast to continue to gradually drop in level but still be in minor flood stage by the end of the month.
Weather Service reports the Milk River at Havre peaked early Thursday at 14.4 feet - flood stage is 10 feet - and had dropped to 11.93 feet at 9:15 this morning.
Lodge Creek that flows south across the Canadian border north of Havre was reported in moderate flood stage at 9.84 feet at 9:25 a.m. and predicted to crest at 10 feet later today and start dropping.
The flooding has caused major damage to county roads and flooding of state highways and U.S. Highway 2, with many roads closed, many under water and massive areas of fields covered with temporary ponds and lakes.
Hill County Health Department's Facebook page, where the county has been posting updates, reports that Riverside Trailer Park east of Havre is flooding and sandbags, dirt and trenches are being used to reduce the impact.
North Havre is being monitored to prevent the Milk River from backing up through storm drains and other points into the unincorporated city, with sandbags being used in some areas.
The county road department is continuing to check the roads that are closed and updates will be posted on the Health Department Facebook page, a post says.
The West Box Elder road is now open as is Road 100N north of Inverness, but Road 15S south of Inverness now is closed, the page reports.
Snow in the southwest part of Hill County is starting to melt, but its impact to flooding is expected to be comparatively small, the page says.
The page lists a number of roads that are closed - see them on the Facebook page or at http://www.havredailynews.com - and asks people to stay off roads and stay home, if possible.
"If you are able to refrain from hauling grain, hay or animals for the next few days, it would be appreciated as it causes additional damage to the roads," the post says.
Bureau of Reclamations reservoir webpage for Fresno Reservoir reports the reservoir remains at 109 percent full, but its inflow has dropped dramatically from 6,599 cubic-feet-per-second Tuesday to 5,646 Wednesday and 3,539 Thursday.
MIlk in Blaine County still rising
The National Weather Service flood warning predicts that the Milk River near Harlem will continue to rise with the prediction that it will peak Sunday at 25.4 feet - just short of a new record - then start falling.
Other creeks are starting to drop. Battle Creek in Blaine County, which flows south just a mile or so west of Chinook, peaked at 12.86 feet Sunday, dropped then rose again to peak almost as high Wednesday but by 9:30 this morning had dropped to 9.08 feet, Weather Service reports. It is expected to generally drop then rise again a bit to hit about 9.5 feet, just below minor flood state at 10 feet, by late next week.
Blaine County also has had road closures it is posting on its Health Department Facebook page, reporting late Thursday that New Hope Road had been re-opened but Clear Creek Road at the Milk River Bridge was closed. See other road closures on its Facebook page and at http://ww.havredailynews.com.
Road closures In Blaine County, the Hall Road north of the Red Rock Intersectionand The Merrill Road west of the Hawley Tangen Bridge to the New Hope Road Intersection have been closed since Tuesday.
Hill County roads that are closed:
Kremlin Bay Road
North Havre - 110N, Shepherd Road by Red Rock Coulee, Cottonwood Bridge, 60N: (Heading West off North Fresno)
South of Kremlin/South West of Havre - 50S; 70S; 100S; 110S; South of Gildford
North of Hingham - 100N; 240N to North Gildford;
North of Rudyard - 180N: To East, 190N: To West, 95N closed to 280N
South Rudyard - 110S to West, Tiber Road
North Inverness - 240N, The North Inverness is rough and in some spots single lane, 60N
Reader Comments(0)