High water surrounds U.S. 2 homes
Jerry Stansberry watches his step off of his deck at his home near Trumbull Creek west of Columbia Falls on Wednesday afternoon. Water from the creek flooded Stansberry’s property, but did not cause any damage to the interior of his home because it is raised 18 inches above the water.
Trumbull Creek exceeded its banks this week, flooding fields and surrounding several houses with water along U.S. 2 west of Columbia Falls.
“We’ve got a few gallons,” Jerry Stansberry said from the porch of his mobile home on Wednesday. The home was completely surrounded by flood water, and Stansberry was using a rowboat to set sandbags behind his place.
The flooding did not cause any damage to the interior of his place because it is elevated about 18 inches above the water.
The flooding started Monday and the water has receded somewhat since then.
“This is as high as it’s going to get. It’s going to find its way out the other end,” Stansberry said, gesturing toward the flooded fields south of his home.
Stansberry said he has three neighbors who also were impacted by the flooding.
“I’ve lived here for 40 years. I’ve been through this six or eight times,” he said. “If you live along a creek you’ve got to expect this every now and then.”
The Flathead Valley has had 4.09 inches of rain so far this month, including nearly 3 inches in the past week.
On Sunday and Monday alone, 1.4 inches of rain were recorded at Glacier Park International Airport by the National Weather Service.