While situations had improved this morning in the community of Hays, flood warnings and watches remain in effect throughout north-central Montana this morning, extending through Tuesday.
Rain led to flooding in Hays over the weekend, with residents evacuated and emergency personnel working at the community and volunteers placing sandbags to reduce the impact.
Mary White Cow, who left her residence during the flooding, said this morning she is back home and things are improving.
“The water has receded a lot and, hopefully, we won’t get more rain, ” she said.
The flooding still has Montana Highway 66 listed as closed by the Montana Department of Transportation as of 9:17 this morning, from Harlem to Hays and from Hays to the junction with U. S. Highway 191.
White Cow said flooding had caused a crevice in a bridge on the highway blocking traffic between Hays and Three Buttes. Residents have been able to use a detour through Lodge Pole, she said.
Officials still are closely monitoring the flooding situation in the area and around the state.
The National Weather Service at 6:25 a. m. this morning had a flood warning in effect for much of north-central and central Montana, including Chouteau and Blaine counties, through 8 a. m. Tuesday. The warning extends south including into Cascade County and east including through parts of Phillips, Judith Basin and Fergus counties,
A flood warning is in effect for Hill and Liberty counties, and extends west and south along the Rocky Mountain Front.
Blaine County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Haley Gustitis said this morning that county law enforcement and fire fighting personnel responded to Fort Belknap to help with the flooding there.
Other creeks are at high levels in the county, but she had received no reports of other serious flooding as of early this morning, Gustitis said.
Hill County DES Coordinator Joe Parenteau said some creeks in the county are bank-full and some may have gone over their banks, but was aware of no serious flooding as of early this morning.
The level of Beaver Creek did rise significantly upstream from Beaver Creek Dam, he added.
The county road and bridge department will check on the severity of road damage and report back later today, Parenteau said.
Whether severe flooding occurs will depend on how much more rain the area receives, he added.
“At this point, so far, so good, ” Parenteau said.
White Cow said the response to the flooding in Hays was tremendous, and very much appreciated. This morning emergency personnel and volunteers still were at readiness in The Green Building that normally houses the Boys & Girls club at the John Capture Center in Hays.
The community’s residents are sending a “heartfelt thank-you” to all the people who responded, including many volunteers who helped put out sandbags, she said.
“All the people who came to help, it was just beautiful, ” she said. “All the crews that were out here did a fantastic, wonderful job.
“Everybody just looked out for everybody, ” White Cow added.
