Flood planning begins

Local emergency service officials and residents are beginning to prepare for potential flooding, with well above average snowpack and streamflow forecasts for the Flathead Valley.

About 50 people — many of them with questions about flooding potential and response capabilities for a flood event — attended a meeting Wednesday at the Flathead County Office of Emergency Services.

Representatives of the OES, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the county planning office, the National Weather Service and local fire departments were on hand.

“It’s no secret that we’re looking for high water this year,” said Marty Whitmore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service who gave a presentation on the flood forecast.

High elevation snowpack above the Flathead Basin has crept up to 140 percent of average, the highest since the big winter of 1997, largely because of continuing cool weather and frequent precipitation.

The Noisy Basin automated snow measuring site in the Swan Mountains is at 151 percent of average.

“We’re really concerned about the fast-reacting streams coming out of the Swan Range,” Whitmore said.

Flooding also is considered likely on Ashley Creek west of Kalispell, based on low elevation snowpack that is higher than usual this year.

“Ashley Creek is already running pretty high,” Whitmore said. “It looks like it’s on the verge of impacting some areas and we haven’t even had any warm temperatures.”

The Flathead River system is expected to run high, possibly approaching flood stage, as are the Stillwater and Whitefish rivers.

The National Weather Service is currently projecting peak flows on the Flathead River in early June, but that will depend on how the weather unfolds over the next couple months.

Sustained warm weather will accelerate runoff, but the higher elevation snowmelt will depend a lot on nighttime temperatures, Whitmore said.

Several elderly people attended with memories of the historic flood of 1964 that caused heavy damage along the Flathead River from the southern boundary of Glacier Park to the Evergreen.

“I remember ’64,” said one woman, who earlier asked about the potential for a similar event.

Whitmore said that flood was driven not by a heavy snowpack but by a rare, tropical weather system that dumped massive amounts of rain on the Middle Fork Flathead drainage over a short period.

Several county officials explained local flood response responsibilities and capabilities.

Cindy Mullaney, deputy director of the Office of Emergency Services, said people should acquire sandbags if their property may be impacted by flooding, but this year the county may make its sandbags available.

Charlie Comer, representing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said his agency is responsible for helping the county protect public infrastructure. He said there are 200,000 sandbags stored at Libby Dam for emergency use.

Sheriff Chuck Curry explained the stages leading up to evacuation warnings, and he urged the public to prepare for actions they may need to take if flooding potential worsens. Livestock and pet owners, for instance, should be prepared to move their animals in advance.

“That’s always an issue. That’s always a challenge for us, especially with larger animals,” he said.

Mullaney said the county arranges for places and assistance in moving animals if necessary.

The American Red Cross also has pre-arranged shelters that can be activated if necessary.

Information on resources and assistance will be widely available if a flood threat is apparent.

“If we get close to an event, we work very closely with the local media,” Curry said.

The Office of Emergency Services can be reached at 758-5562.

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