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Libby Montana News Archive

Leaving Rosauers A car drives through the deep water in front of Rosauers grocery store around noon on Monday. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flooded Nevada Street Flooded Nevada Street, view from the W 10th Street intersection. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Flooding at Asa Wood School Asa Wood school playground turned into the new stream course during the flooding episode. Photo by Bob Hosea. Flower Creek Flooding by LibbyMT.com January 19, 2011 Flower Creek overran its banks early Monday morning, causing flooding below the Balsam Street bridge in Libby. Heavy rain for the past few days, on top of thick ice on the creek, caused major problems for homeowners along Nevada Avenue, where the creek was diverted due to ice. Water came into several backyards and basements and then into the street. The flood was caused by ice build up at the Flower Creek Bridge on Balsam Street as weekend rain and warm temperatures caused melting and increased flow in the creek. The Flower Creek Bridge is historically a problematic bottleneck during high run off. Once on Nevada, the water spread out to Idaho Street and ran across Highway 2 onto Asa Wood school property, flooding four classrooms. Sand bags and towels around the bottoms of the doors helped keep most of the water out of the school building. Fortunately, no children were at the school due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The water also turned west along Highway 2, restricting travel in the outside, east-bound lane. Once the flooding began, all the bridges over Flower Creek were targeted for ice removal, along with the main stream from Rosauers to the Balsam Street bridge. Neighborhood residents were busy early Monday morning sandbagging streets and driveways to keep the water out of their homes. Those nearest the creek were not able to divert the massive amount of water (and ice chunks) coming downstream. Libby Mayor Doug Roll declared an emergency at 6 am Monday morning as Flower Creek spilled its banks. That action had to be taken to allow heavy equipment to enter Flower Creek as ice caused minor low-level flooding in the Flower Creek corridor. The Libby City Council will authorize a 2 mil Emergency Levy to help cover the costs incurred to contain the flooding waters. The levy will raise only $5,500 to 6,000 dollars, but this step has to be taken before the City can appeal to the State for assistance with the expenses. _______________________________________ Maggie Craig, Duane Williams-KLCB-KTNY Radio, Bob Hosea, Elisabeth Covey and Dawn Ballou all contributed to this story. Photos by Bob Hosea, Elisabeth Covey, and Maggie Craig-LibbyMT.com.

Bridge Looking at the bridge on West Balsam Ave where the ice dam started. This photo was taken after heavy equipment removed the main ice dam. Photo by Bob Hosea. Balsam Avenue bridge This photo was taken after heavy equipment removed the main ice dam. Photo by Bob Hosea. Ice Buildup Photo by Bob Hosea. Flower Creek View on the Flower Creek bridge looking upstream (South). Photo by Bob Hosea. Ice Chunks On the bridge looking up stream (North). Photo by Bob Hosea. Balsam Ave bridge Bridge on West Balsam Ave where the ice dam started. Photo by Bob Hosea. This is Nevada Avenue On Monday morning. The neighborhood had been sandbagging for several hours. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. The scene: water, ice, debris and sandbags Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. The creek leaves its channel Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Where creek meets road The amount of water leaving the channel was impressive. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Across the street Water crossed Nevada and cut through yards. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Sand piles dotted driveways Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. The view from the houses along Nevada Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. This is a back yard Note the stranded shed. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Ice jam The main stream channel is located behind this ice. An excavator is working there to remove ice from the channel. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Into a back yard The ice seen in front comes to the back door of a house. There's water flowing underneath the ice, so it can't be walked on. It was very hazardous. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Water to the front door Water laps at the front of a home on 10th Street. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. House near a creek Water flows across the front and back yard of this home along 10th Street behind Ace Hardware. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. My yard is a river! Flood water rushes across a yard on 10th Street, taking out a section of a fence in the back yard. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Water in the garage Residents work to get water, snow and ice out of a home along west 10th Street. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. From garage to the basement Water flows out of the back door to the garage on 10th Street, filling up the basement of a residence. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Flooding across yard Water cut across yards in the residential neighborhood. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. 10th Street Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Water logged Flooding near 10th Street. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. No more fence Rushing water took out a segment of fence behind a residence on 10th Street. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Not supposed to be a stream The stream diverted out of its banks and flooding near Ace Hardware. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Near 10th Street Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Surveying the scene A resident walks out to survey the situation during the flooding. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Flooding behind Ace Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Sandbagging the flood Businesses do their best to try and build sandbag walls to keep the flood waters away from their property. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Flooding behind Ace Hardware Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Heavy Equipment Heavy equipment operators did their best to try to find good outlets for the rush of water to go. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Ice removal At Rosauers. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek Some of the water runs back into the channel upstream of the bridge at Rosauers. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek And some of the water runs back into the channel downstream of the bridge at Rosauers. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek at Rosauers Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Bridge over Flower Creek Between Libby Shopping Center and Rosauers. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Removing ice from Flower Creek At Rosauers. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek at Highway 2 Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek at Highway 2 Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Hwy 2 and Idaho Ave Pictures at Highway 2 and Idaho Avenue. Photo by Bob Hosea. Water across the highway Highway 2 and Idaho Avenue. The water was running down Nevada Ave and around, and through, a lot of houses. From there some of the water went down Idaho Ave and across Highway 2. Photo by Bob Hosea. Traffic Hazard Highway 2 and Idaho Avenue. Emergency responders set up traffic control for safety where the water crossed the highway. Photo by Bob Hosea. Idaho Avenue & Hwy 2 Highway 2 and Idaho Avenue. Photo by Bob Hosea. Idaho Hwy 2 Intersection View looking at Hwy 2 from Idaho Avenue, across to the Ace Hardware commercial complex. Photo by Bob Hosea. Really Icy Road Idaho Avenue turned into a river of water and ice. Photo by Bob Hosea. River road Emergency crews did their best to guide traffic through and around the flooded sections of road, but Mother Nature got her own way for awhile. Photo by Bob Hosea. View from opposite side View looking towards Idaho Avenue at the Hwy 2 intersection from the south side of the highway. Asa Wood playground and school is across the highway to the left. Photo by Elisabeth Covey. Sandbags on Highway 2 Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Highway 2 In front of Rosauers around noon Monday. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Leaving Rosauers Around noon Monday. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek At Rosauers. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Picking up debris Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Streets were blocked Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. It's calm now Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Nevada Avenue Monday afternoon, after the water had gone down. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Bagging and shoveling Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek Above Balsam Street, Monday afternoon. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek ice Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Ice in Flower Creek Ice was still evident (middle of picture) in the creek above the Balsam Street bridge, although not enough to be a threat by Monday afternoon. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Sandbags were everywhere Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Removing ice and debris Behind the Caboose Motel. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek At the railroad tracks. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek Equipment had been removing ice earlier. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek At the railroad tracks. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Ice removed from the creek Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Beside Flower Creek Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Ice chunks Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Flower Creek At the railroad tracks. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Asa Wood School In the afternoon after the flooding had abated. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Asa Wood Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Asa Wood Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Asa Wood School playground Photo by Bob Hosea. Soggy Playground Flooding at Asa Wood School. Photo by Bob Hosea. Idaho and 5th Street Near the Post Office. Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com. Idaho and 5th Street Photo by Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com.

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