Flood Level Predictions Lowered

The recent weather events here in Valley County and beyond are taking both front and center stage. Starting Oct. 1, localized flooding due to rainfall has been reported in several areas.

According to NWS’ Tanja Franzen, the flood predictions are not as dire as they were on Oct. 7. Beaver Creek is mostly fueling this flood, which is a good thing for Glasgow. We’re seeing the Milk River at Glasgow rising slowly as a result, and “it’s still flooding, and expected to crest at 29.1 feet, but that is at least 2 feet lower than originally expected,” Franzen said. 

Glasgow is at 19.67” of moisture for the year. That is the sixth-wettest on record as of Oct. 3. The record is 22.95” in 2011.

Rainfall totals were 4-8 inches across Phillips County, with some isolated areas receiving up to 10”.  Zortman has had its wettest October on record at 5.38”, beating the old record by over 2.1”. This is the third-wettest year on record in Zortman, at 31.35”, with more than two months to go. The wettest was 2011 at 33.17”.

Malta has had 22.49” of moisture, and Beaver Creek at Saco had its second-highest crest at 13.3 feet.  The highest was 14.68 feet on Sept. 26, 1986.  

Saco is also having its wettest year on record, at 24.10” so far. The previous record was 2014 at 21.99”. It is also the wettest October on record at 3.99” in Saco (old record was 2.37” in 1998).  

Remember: when a road is flooded, turn around, don’t drown! For up-to-the minute flood information from the National Weather Service, check out water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=ggw or call the NWS Glasgow office at 406-228-2850.