LINCOLN – Officials say most of the mid-elevation and low elevation snow has melted in the Lincoln area. but the Blackfoot River will be affected for weeks from the high elevation snowpack coming out of Landers Fork.
Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse said most of the smaller streams are mostly done as far as flooding. But, Friday evening’s heavy rain did not help the flooding situation as it caused Stonewall Creek drain to overflow, creating a flash flood.
"Other than the rain we are about done with the lower elevation, mid-elevation snow and those small streams. But anything that feeds into the Landers Fork and then into the Blackfoot, that’s going to go one for a couple more weeks," Chief Muse said.
When you travel three miles out of town up Stonewall Creek Road you can see the damage left behind. The road is ripped apart with all of the packed clay and dirt washed away from the flood.
"Everything dried up real quick. Now the county is going to have a heck of a road to fix, but now it’s about two miles of what looks like a river channel," Chief Muse told MTN News.
"Really, I mean the county has been good to us. You know it’s hard for them to respond to every disaster and pay for it all," Chief Muse explained. "We stashed enough sandbags and got us some sand. Some local people…helped us out with sand. {The paving department] came out, helped us fill sandbags with their paving truck."
Muse said overall he believes the county and the community did — and are doing — the best they can in dealing with the floods. He is also asking that the public abide by the signs officials have put up.
"And so the community has been great and mostly the hardest part is keeping people away from those areas where people are being affected," Chief Muse said. "You know everyone wants to go see, take pictures and put it on Facebook…these people are in a bad situation. They don’t need you up there."
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