Flood of memories: Mountain snows, valley rains a disastrous combination in 1964
After the Flathead River flooded in early June 1964, the Lyngstad family in Columbia Falls had to rely on canoe access to their flooded home.
The flood-swollen Middle Fork of the Flathead River is shown during the massive flood of June 1964. The flood washed out or damaged five bridges; six miles of railroad track and 20 miles of highway were washed away. Mel Ruder photo/Hungry Horse News
The 1964 flood was caused by extended, torrential rains combining with near-record mountain snowpacks. It is the largest flood on record for the Flathead River, as well as for the Sun River and several other rivers across northwest Montana.
Dates: June 8-9, 1964
Peak flows: 176,000 cubic feet per second at Columbia Falls — 25 percent higher than any other flows recorded there over the last 110 years. The river crested at 26.5 feet, 12.5 feet above flood stage.
Damage: Estimated at $63 million across Northwest Montana, including $28.4 million in Flathead County. At least 28 people died, all east of the Continental Divide, where three dams failed. More than 2,200 homes were damaged or destroyed in seven counties and a dozen communities.
Location: Locally, the hardest hit areas were Evergreen, Day’s Acres and the flats area east and south of Columbia Falls. All together, several hundred homes here were flooded. Five bridges along the Middle Fork and main stem of the Flathead were washed out or damaged, together with six miles of railroad track and 20 miles of highway.