Heavy rainfall causes damage
MATT BALDWIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 12 months AGO
Hagadone Media Montana REGIONAL MANAGING EDITOR Matt Baldwin is the regional editor for Hagadone Media Montana, where he helps guide coverage across eight newspapers throughout Northwest Montana. Under his leadership, the Daily Inter Lake received the Montana Newspaper Association’s Sam Gilluly Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. A graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism, Baldwin has called Montana home for nearly 30 years. He and his wife, Sadie, have three daughters. He can be reached at 406‑758‑4447 or [email protected]. IMPACT: Baldwin’s work helps ensure Northwest Montana residents stay connected to their communities and informed about the issues that shape their everyday lives. | August 6, 2013 9:00 PM
Last Friday’s heavy rainfall in Whitefish led to numerous mudslides around Whitefish Lake and caused a massive breach in a private pond off Big Mountain Road that sent a wall of water toward Les Mason State Park.
The private fishing pond on the property well known as the former residence of TV actor Jim Nabors broke open Friday night. A river of water hit East Lakeshore Drive and spilled across the road in a swath a few hundred yards wide.
Water and debris swept through the Les Mason parking area and surrounding forest.
One home adjacent to the park was partially flooded. Crews on the scene Monday morning said about three or four dump truck loads of rock and debris was pushed into the lake near the house.
An access road to the Les Mason parking area was closed Monday as crews worked to clear the area.
The heavy rain on Friday also caused numerous mudslides along East Lakeshore Drive. Flathead County road crews were busy Monday clearing one slide that crossed the road near Hellroaring Creek.
Flathead County Public Works Director David Prunty said crews will attempt to build a buttress in the area of the slide. He said it’s difficult to prevent slides on the narrow portion of East Lakeshore that traverses above the lake.
“With that steep of a slope and that volume of water, bad things happen,” Prunty said.
Also Friday, a rock retaining wall on Rest Haven Drive broke away and ended up hitting the carport of a nearby home.
“It was a pretty significant event,” Prunty said.
County crews will work with the property owner to develop a better drainage system near the wall.
Officials at Whitefish Mountain Resort said the storm caused some minor erosion along the unmaintained trails on the Toni Matt and Big Ravine slopes. People are advised to use other trails when hiking the mountain to prevent further erosion.
The National Weather Service reported 1.12 inches of rain fell in Whitefish during a 24-hour period beginning Friday morning. Other unofficial rain gauges in Whitefish showed more than 2 inches of rain fell during the entire weather event.
ARTICLES BY MATT BALDWIN
Road closures, evacuation warnings continue for Skillet Fire
Evacuation warnings and road closures remained in place for areas on the Flathead National Forest west of Olney as a wildfire continued to threaten at least 50 structures.
Fire watch issued as new blaze surges in Northwest Montana
A rapidly expanding wildfire west of Olney prompted numerous road closures Thursday on the Flathead and Kootenai national forests as dangerous fire weather moves into the region this weekend.
Fire watch issued as new blaze surges in Northwest Montana
A rapidly expanding wildfire west of Olney prompted numerous road closures Thursday on the Flathead and Kootenai national forests as dangerous fire weather moves into the region this weekend.