PHOTOS: Flood washes out roads and bridges across Northwest Montana
HAGADONE MEDIA MONTANA | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 hours, 28 minutes AGO
A rock and mudslide damaged a garage on Eagle View Lane in Sanders County on Dec. 11, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
A section of the Libby Creek walking path near Fifth Street Extension in Libby was washed out following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The bridge over Farm to Market Road south of Libby washed out early Thursday morning, Dec. 11, 2025, after days of rain and warm temperatures caused extensive flooding in south Lincoln County. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
A property on Chase Cutoff was experiencing flooding from Lake Creek Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, after days of rain and warm temperatures in south Lincoln County. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Volunteers place sandbags where Cherry Creek flooded south of Libby Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The river was inching very close to the Exit 33 off-ramp at St. Regis last week. The St. Regis River recorded higher flow rates three times higher flow rates than average spring runoff levels following a week's worth of December rainfall. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
Workers removed a large pileup of trees and rootwods on December 11, which were washed downstream along the St. Regis River after several inches of rain. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
This section of Prichard Creek Road has much of its base layer washed out due to fast-moving floodwater crashing against it. (Josh McDonald/Shoshone Press)
Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
A rock and mudslide damaged a garage on Eagle View Lane in Sanders County on Dec. 11, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Floodwaters hit the Prospect Creek Bridge in Sanders County on Dec. 12, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
The St. Regis Road in Troy was damaged along Callahan Creek following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
A Thompson Contracting employee moves riprap onto a stream bank on Lake Creek on the Chase Cutoff outside of Troy following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The Big Cherry Creek bridge on Granite Creek Road near Libby was one of the casualties following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Members of David Thompson Search and Rescue hand out bottled water to residents in need Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at the Memorial Center in Libby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Flood waters had receded substantially on Libby Creek by the morning of Friday, Dec. 12, but the damage was already done Thursday when heavy rain caused the failure of the bridge on Farm to Market Road south of Libby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
An historic atmospheric river pummeled Northwest Montana and North Idaho last week as flooding washed out numerous bridges and roads across the region.
The Cabinet Mountains received more than a foot of water equivalent over six days. The weather station at Poorman Creek south of Libby reported 5 inches of precipitation on Dec. 11 alone.
“Which is incredible,” commented National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Noble. The 24-hour total is the third most all-time for the location.
The historic weather system started as snow and transitioned to heavy rain earlier in the week, a recipe for flooding.
A section of the Libby Creek walking path near Fifth Street Extension in Libby was washed out following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The bridge over Farm to Market Road south of Libby washed out early Thursday morning, Dec. 11, 2025, after days of rain and warm temperatures caused extensive flooding in south Lincoln County. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
A property on Chase Cutoff was experiencing flooding from Lake Creek Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, after days of rain and warm temperatures in south Lincoln County. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Volunteers place sandbags where Cherry Creek flooded south of Libby Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The river was inching very close to the Exit 33 off-ramp at St. Regis last week. The St. Regis River recorded higher flow rates three times higher flow rates than average spring runoff levels following a week's worth of December rainfall. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
Workers removed a large pileup of trees and rootwods on December 11, which were washed downstream along the St. Regis River after several inches of rain. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
This section of Prichard Creek Road has much of its base layer washed out due to fast-moving floodwater crashing against it. (Josh McDonald/Shoshone Press)
Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
A rock and mudslide damaged a garage on Eagle View Lane in Sanders County on Dec. 11, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Floodwaters hit the Prospect Creek Bridge in Sanders County on Dec. 12, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
The St. Regis Road in Troy was damaged along Callahan Creek following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
A Thompson Contracting employee moves riprap onto a stream bank on Lake Creek on the Chase Cutoff outside of Troy following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
The Big Cherry Creek bridge on Granite Creek Road near Libby was one of the casualties following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Members of David Thompson Search and Rescue hand out bottled water to residents in need Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at the Memorial Center in Libby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Flood waters had receded substantially on Libby Creek by the morning of Friday, Dec. 12, but the damage was already done Thursday when heavy rain caused the failure of the bridge on Farm to Market Road south of Libby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)ARTICLES BY HAGADONE MEDIA MONTANA
PHOTOS: Flood washes out roads and bridges across Northwest Montana
An historic atmospheric river pummeled Northwest Montana and North Idaho last week as flooding washed out numerous bridges and roads across the region.
Insights: Giving Back
‘Tis the season of giving, and the generosity that fuels Northwest Montana is once again at the forefront of our communities.
Insights: Increasing connectivity
For a state that ranks 50th in the nation for broadband access, Montana has a steep hill to climb toward full connectivity.