Gov. Greg Gianforte has requested a presidential major disaster declaration for Lincoln and Sanders Counties. In his letter to President Trump, the Governor noted infrastructure damage, including the failure of the Lower Flower Creek Dam.
He added, “Given the severity and complexity of this emergency, I respectfully request FEMA’s assistance through an Emergency Declaration. Federal support is essential to ensure the health and safety of the affected population.”
Appearing on the KGEZ Good Morning Show, Flathead County Emergency Services’ Lincoln Chute was in Libby to assist their responders. He tells us we, in Flathead County, were lucky it didn’t hit us here. He says the Hungry Horse Reservoir has risen 3-feet and Flathead Lake is up 4-feet since the rains began, but our ground isn’t frozen, so the water can seep into the ground. In Lincoln County, the ground is saturated.
In Libby the Lower Flower Creek Dam is scheduled for a controlled water release in the hopes of avoiding additional flooding in Libby. Sheriff Darren Short tells us the plan is, what he calls, “a risk mitigation operations, not an emergency response.”
There are 7-streams involved, six inside the Libby City Limits. The Fisher River near Libby is expected to crest at just below the 7-foot flood stage. The ground is already saturated, so additional rain could trigger landslides.
