Flood watch in effect Thursday and Friday

National Weather Service has a flood watch in effect for the end of this week as a storm is expected to bring widespread rain and potential downpours during thunderstorms.

“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” the flood watch says. “Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with more heavy rain.”

The watch is in effect for Thursday afternoon through Friday night and covers much of north-central Montana, including Blaine, Choueau, Hill and Liberty counties, as well as parts of central Montana.

The watch says the system is expected to bring half-an-inch to an inch of rain Thursday and Friday.

A few thunderstorms are expected to develop in the region, which could lead to rainfall rates greater than 1-inch-per-hour, the watch says.

With the soils in the area pretty well saturated after last week’s storms, high rates of rainfall could lead to flash flooding, the watch says.

After receiving a fairly high amount of rain the end of April, a storm the end of last week dropped 1 inch to 2 inches of rain in this area, with Havre seeing 2.15 inches at the recording station at Havre City-County Airport from Thursday through Saturday morning.

The forecast for this area calls for a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight, then heavy rain Thursday through Friday night.

Showers are predicted Saturday and Sunday afternoon, with a chance of thunderstorms Saturday night.

The National Weather Service flooding resources website has information on flood safety, with the biggest warning about driving across flooded areas.

“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard,” the site says. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. The next highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near flood waters.

“People underestimate the force and power of water,” the site continues. “Many of the deaths occur in cars swept downstream. Many of these drownings are preventable. Never drive around the barriers blocking a flooded road. The road may have collapsed under that water.

“A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks,” the page concludes. “It is NEVER safe to drive or walk into flood waters.”

For more information, visit the Weather Service flooding resources page at http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood .