Remember When?

23 YEARS AGO • FEBRUARY 15, 1996

WATER AND ICE CREATE HAVOC

The impacts of rain, snowmelt, ice and raging water caused havoc across Sanders County last week causing a train derailment, massive flooding, property damage, road washouts and mud slides.

Saturday, Thompson Falls Mayor Jerry Neal declared a state of emergency for his city as a horizontal mountain of ice lodged at the upper end of the Thompson Falls Reservoir, clearly in sight of the town. He feared the ice, which appears to be held in place by an ice sheet covering the reservoir, could break free and cause damage and flooding to low lying properties. There was also concern that if the ice mass broke free with sufficient force, it would damage the Thompson Falls dam. MPC spokesman Cort Freeman felt they were well prepared to handle any emergency.

Concern rose Tuesday when an ice jam set free near Frenchtown was heading this way. County DES Coordinator Dave Reynolds flew the area and said the threat appeared to be minor.

With a heavy snowpack and frozen rivers, the abundant rain across western Montana last week combined to create hazardous conditions. As the rain melted the snow and ran off into drainages, the rivers and creeks filled, causing massive washouts. Culverts could scarcely handle the deluge and when the volumes hit the Clark Fork River, they contributed to a massive breakup of the 8-inch thick ice that covered much of the channel. That ice piled up Thursday in the shallow stretch upstream from the mouth of the Thompson River, causing a massive ice dam that backed water up for miles. Hardest hit were the low lying areas of the Eddy Flat, about eight miles east of Thompson Falls. There water backed up through a large culvert under the Montana Rail Link tracks, topped Highway 200 and flooded large areas of property. Several homes were stranded and two others received minor damage when the waters poured in. On the south side of the river, residents in the Eddy Creek area, were cut off from their only route out, River Road West, when the county road was covered by several feet of water. Several residents were rescued by boat while others remained back to guard property.

The flooding closed Highway 200 between Plains and Thompson Falls and highway department crews were forced to make temporary and massive repairs early this week. The route was expected to reopen to the general public by the middle of the week.

Near Heron, massive runoff eroded away the base of the Montana Rail Link track causing a derailment of several cars and engines. That line was back in service Monday, but trains traveled slowly though the county as stability of the track base continues to be a major concern.

DES Coordinator Dave Reynolds said a team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was due in Sanders County Tuesday to take a look at two critical locations along the Blue Slide and Beaver Creek roads. At the start of the "Blue Slide" of the Blue Slide Road, Reynolds fears there may be instability beneath the roadway which could cause subsidence when the ground thaws. That road suffered widespread damage from unpredictable runoff that topped it in numerous places. Long sections of pavement have eroded away and erosion in the Pine Cone area has created a washout that could hold a dump truck.

Saturday morning, the Plains and Thompson Falls airports were among the busiest sites in the county as local pilots ferried people between the two cities and stood by for emergency response. Pilots Randy Garrison, Jim and Jeanne Carstens, Millar Bryce and Ed Von Heeder helped transport hospital personnel and equipment operators to their destinations.

Garrison remarked that the importance of safe, reliable airport facilities was never more apparent than that evidenced by the closure of Highway 200 because of the flood.