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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 12 May 2018

Montana floodwaters near highest level in 100 years

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) —
Montana rescuers pulled a
man from raging floodwa-
ters and authorities warned
of dangerous debris being
swept downstream as wa-
ter levels continued rising
Friday in rivers and streams
across the western half of
the state.
The Clark Fork River in Mis-
soula was expected to
crest more than a foot (30
centimeters) above major
flood stage late Saturday —
its highest level in 100 years.
It could rise even higher
next week, according to
National Weather Service
forecasters. Heavy rains in
recent days compounded
the deluge caused primar-
ily by melting mountain
snows.
Floodwaters already have
inundated some houses
and trailer homes in a low-
lying neighborhood in Mon-
tana’s second-largest city.
Many residents of the
more than 65 houses under
evacuation orders refused
to leave. That put both
residents and emergency Floodwater from the Clark Fork River flows over the road and through a fence line, Thursday, May 10, 2018, at the Kelly Island Fishing
Access off Mullan Road west of Missoula.
personnel in danger as de- Associated Press
bris surged downstream,
including sheds, a propane Firefighters at the river’s to even higher levels by could erode the uncertified small town of Shawmut in
tank and the remains of at edge noticed him hanging week’s end, said meteo- levees that shield the site Wheatland County was
least one trailer home that onto a tree and still in the rologist Ryan Leach. from the river, Holtz said. forecast to reach major
was pushed off its founda- raft, Holtz said. Rescuers “We’re very confident it’s Elsewhere in the state flood- flood stage Saturday. The
tion and broke apart in the used a boat to pull him to going to be above major waters threatened homes county sheriff’s office ad-
floodwaters, authorities safety. flood stage for at least the along the Blackfoot River vised people not to drive
said. No injuries had been re- next week,” Leach said. near Lincoln and portions through flooded areas.
“It’s a great public safety ported as of Friday morn- Personnel from the U.S. of Lewis and Clark, Jeffer- Rain was in the forecast with
concern for us,” said Mel ing, Holtz said. Occupants Army Corps of Engineers son and Broadwater coun- showers possible through
Holtz, a firefighter and of about 800 Missoula hous- were inspecting area le- ties. Minor flooding was re- the weekend across much
spokesman for the flood es were under warning that vees but they were not ex- ported along the Flathead of the state.q
response effort. “Obviously they may have to evacu- pected to be topped, Holtz River at Columbia Falls.
it’s a very difficult time for ate if conditions deterio- said. A dam on an irrigation
people to leave, but we rate. Among the sites being pond in Meagher County
have concerns over utili- Water also was pushing monitored was Smurfit- breached, causing a rapid
ties in that area because into residential areas down- Stone Mill, a former wood rise in water levels on Six-
the electricity is still on and stream along the Clark Fork pulp mill along the Clark teenmile Creek as it enters
there’s a lot of debris in the in the town of Frenchtown, Fork northwest of Missoula Gallatin County. The area
water.” where occupants of two where open ponds were downstream of the breach
The rescued man was us- houses were ordered to used to store contaminat- is sparsely populated and
ing a small raft to reach a evacuate. ed wastewater. The site is local officials said there
camp for transients on a River levels are forecast to on the federal Superfund was no immediate threat
partially submerged island drop slightly with the ar- list of the nation’s most haz- to public safety.
on the Clark Fork Thursday rival of cooler weather ardous sites. Local officials In central Montana, the
night. early next week, then spike were concerned the river Musselshell River near the