Park damage estimated at $4.7 million

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier National Park officials have come up with a preliminary estimate of $4.7 million in damage caused by last week's flooding.

Most of the damage was on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Cleanup work and damage repair has been moving along well, Glacier Superintendent Mick Holm said.

"Though the flooding caused extensive localized damage to roads and facilities, we have made an amazing amount of progress in the short time since the flood," he said. "Thanks to the efforts of the employees who worked over the [Veterans Day] holiday weekend, emergency bank stabilization is already 30 percent complete at lower elevations."

Repair progress is allowing the road to be reopened this morning up to Avalanche Campground. The worst damage, however, is at a series of washouts in the East Tunnel area that have yet to be addressed.

An automated weather station on Glacier's Flattop Mountain measured 11 inches of rain between Nov. 2 and Nov. 7, on top of snow with an additional 2 inches of water content. The heaviest downpour came Nov. 5 to 7, with 9.1 inches of rain falling in 36 hours.

The deluge caused some flooding at the Many Glacier Hotel, but only minor damage. High water wiped out a horse bridge that crossed Upper McDonald Creek and caused a series of rock and mud slides on Sun Road west of Logan Pass.

The Two Medicine area also flooded, but no damage assessment has been made because of snow.

The park also reported that flood debris accumulated at several campgrounds. Park trails will be assessed for damage this fall.

Holm said repair work will be "weather driven," with the usual heavy snows at higher elevations expected. Last weekend, three feet of new snow dropped on Flattop Mountain.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com