Governor declares flood disaster in area

Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a disaster Wednesday due to flooding, opening up assistance from the state and the possibility of a federal disaster declaration.

“Runoff from recent rainfall and snowmelt has compromised critical infrastructure and roads in Montana,” Gianforte said in a press release. “This order will help impacted communities rebuild and get back on their feet.”

Following heavy snow this winter through March — including a likely new record for December snowfall in Havre — and temperatures staying relatively cold through the start of April, a large upswing in temperatures the second week of April led to rapid melting and runoff, leading to some major flooding.

Roads were covered in water and damaged in a wide area, along with other damage caused.

In his declaration, Gianforte says that Hill, Liberty and Blaine counties and Fort Belknap Indian Reservation along with Meagher, Valley, Daniels and Park counties, the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, and the towns of Glasgow and Nashua also declared emergencies or disasters.

His declaration said those entities reported emergency costs and extensive damage to critical infrastructure to include roads, bridges and culverts.

The disaster declaration authorizes the governor to expend funds from the general fund to meet contingencies and needs arising from these conditions, the declaration said.

The local governments have been working to document the damage done by flooding and starting to work to repair the damage, as well as some like Hill County implementing a 2 mill tax to fund emergency repairs.

The state declaration also takes it to the federal level, with President Biden now able to review the situation and potentially issue a federal disaster declaration, which would bring Federal Emergency Management Agency into the situation and allow for application for federal disaster aid money.