For 12 very long hours, the residents of Libby and Troy weren’t sure whether the flood waters affecting south Lincoln County would abate. 

Despite the many bridge and road washouts in the region, water levels began subsiding by late afternoon Dec. 11. 

It was the worst flooding the area had seen since February 1996. Officials expect the cost of the damage to run into the tens of millions of dollars. 

Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short briefed the community Friday morning on the extent of the flooding as well as what local and state officials were doing in the aftermath. 

Short said the flooding would be a long-term event for residents. 

“Fortunately, we’ve had no fatalities or injuries. We are still waiting for the water to go down so we can properly access the damage to the bridges that are lost and those that are compromised,” Short said. “It could take months before we really know how much damage has occurred considering the remote location of some of the roads, including those on Forest Service lands. 

“The financial part will be a tremendous drain for the county,” he added. 

Short also recounted the ordeal of a man who drove off the Libby Creek Bridge on Farm to Market Road as he headed to work early Thursday morning. 

“The bridge was compromised when he drove off it, but he was able to make it out of the truck to safety,” Short said. 

Bridges, including Libby Creek, were discussed at length. It was one of several washed out or compromised. The Sheriff’s Office reported other washed out bridges, including the Granite Creek bridge on Big Cherry Creek and the Keeler Creek Bridge. A bridge on Ross Creek Road near Bull Lake was also compromised. 

Portions of Libby Creek Road and the Champion Haul Road were washed out as well. 

The Fifth Street bridge in Libby that spans Libby Creek was closed Thursday and Friday morning. Libby Volunteer Fire Chief Steve Lauer said an inspection was made Friday and the bridge reopened that afternoon. 

But orange pylons marking damage bordered some sections of the street where water had washed out the ground underneath the asphalt. 

Short asked people to avoid these areas because of the hazards that still exist. 

“The ground is not very stable and some of the road edges have been undermined, so these can still be places where accidents can occur or people can fall,” he said. “And you definitely don’t want to end up in the water now.” 

State bridge inspectors were also on scene Friday to determine the status of the structures. 

On Saturday, Lincoln County Emergency Operations addressed concerns about the Lower Flower Creek Dam near Libby. A low spot on the earthen embankment was breeched for roughly 12 hours Dec. 11, which resulted in moderate damage to the dam.

“At this time, the Lower Flower Creek Diversion Dam does not appear to be at risk of imminent failure,” the agency stated in a press release. “The site will continue to be closely monitored.”

If conditions change, the release stated, response team are prepared to intervene with heavy equipment.

There are no concerns with the larger Flower Creek Dam upstream, the agency state.

“There are no signs of damage, it is intact and is in great shape,” Short said at a town hall in Libby on Saturday.

The older reservoir, which is located 1 1/2 miles from Libby, is heavily silted. Short said that would slow the flow if the dike failed.

He said a Type 3 Incident Team from the western region would be coming to help manage response efforts.

The Red Cross emergency shelter was moved Saturday from the Assembly of God Church in Libby to the Memorial Center because of concerns that if the dike on the lower reservoir failed, flood waters could reach that side of town.

Gov. Greg Gianforte planned to attend Friday’s briefing, but foggy conditions prevented his plane from arriving. 

“We’re thinking of you and we’re thankful to all of you for your work and response to this,” Gianforte said. “The White House is aware of the situation, too.” 

The governor also pointed out that when certain dollar amounts are met, it will trigger federal help for replacement. 

WHILE WATER levels continued to recede Friday, concern remains for next week. The National Weather Service’s Missoula office issued a hydrologic outlook Friday morning that calls for the atmospheric river to continue to affect western Montana and North-central Idaho from Monday through Friday. 

National Weather Service officials say snow levels are anticipated to start at 7,000 feet on Monday before falling to valley floors behind a cold front Wednesday.  

The most likely rainfall scenario forecasts 1 to 2 inches for the valleys of Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders counties in western Montana. Two to 3 inches are expected in the mountains of Northwest Montana and north central Idaho. Areas farther south and east in western Montana will likely see an inch or less. A high-end scenario could bring totals one to two inches higher than those estimates. 

Due to already saturated ground, particularly in Northwest Montana, the rainfall increases the risk of rock and landslides and minor flooding.  

Officials advise residents to monitor the latest forecast updates as this system approaches. 

SHORT SAID some people were evacuated, but he wasn’t sure of the exact number as of Friday. 

“Some chose to leave their homes and some chose to stay,” he said.  

“One person went to the Red Cross shelter at the Assembly of God Church in Libby,” Short added. 

He also said one family was trapped by the flooding, but they were doing OK. 

“They had plenty of food, water and supplies and when we spoke to them, they were doing fine,” Short said. 

People who need to evacuate large animals can take them to the rodeo grounds at J. Neils Memorial Park on Montana 37 in Libby. 

Despite the rising water, there were several scenes of neighbors helping each other, filling and stacking sandbags to safeguard homes and properties. 

Nearly half a foot of rain fell in three days, which coupled with melting snow from the Cabinet Mountains to cause the flooding. Short remarked how unusual it was for this time of year. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it going into winter,” Short said. 

In Libby, city officials ordered a boil water advisory after its public water supply experienced high water turbidity due to the flooding. The order remained in effect Saturday and residents were advised to boil water for at least one minute before use for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or washing dishes. 

Libby and Troy canceled school on Thursday and Friday. Classes in Libby were set to resume Monday.

Forest Service officials said the rapid increase in rainfall on top of snow in the higher elevations increased the risk of landslides, debris flows and downed trees across the Kootenai National Forest. 

READ MORE ABOUT THE FLOODING IN LIBBY:

Historic rain floods areas of Lincoln County, washes out multiple bridges

Flood meetings planned in Libby, Troy this weekend

Northwest Montana faces another round of heavy rain

Flood response and updates shared at Libby town hall

How Libby-area flooding could affect historic Superfund site