MISSOULA – County officials have lifted additional flood evacuation orders in the Missoula area as the waters of the Clark Fork River continue to drop.
The evacuation orders have been lifted from Keck Street, Stone Street, Hamel Road, South Harpers Bridge Road, and a portion of Nancy Lou. County officials are also continuing to work on assessing properties after the worst flooding that Missoula’s seen in decades.
Missoula County officials have finished inspecting the exteriors of buildings in the Keck Street, Stone Street, Nancy Lou, Tower Street, Hamel Road, and Harpers Bridge Road areas over the past two days.
The homes have been marked with a placard indicating whether or not the home is safe to enter and re-occupy. However, some homes were inaccessible due to floodwaters.
While evacuation orders have been lifted in some areas, if the residence is deemed unsafe by the Building Division and Floodplain Administrators due to flooding damage, residents should adhere to the placard posted on the exterior of their home.
- A green placard indicates no exterior damage was visible, the residence is safe, and power and water can be turned on.
- A yellow placard indicates restricted use, meaning the residence is safe to enter but only in a limited capacity due to water in a crawlspace or first floor living areas. If a yellow placard is posted on the exterior, an interior home inspection must be done. Please call 258-3701 to schedule an interior home inspection.
- A red placard indicates that the residence is unsafe and should not be entered or occupied. do not remove placards until utilities are restored.
County officials stress that the inspections are being done to determine if the residence is safe to enter and occupy based on visible structural damage caused by flooding.
Inspections will continue in the Schmidt and off-Mullan areas. The inspectors will not be entering homes, this is an exterior inspection only.
The water level on the Clark Fork River above Missoula is no longer in flood stage and was sitting at 8.55 feet as of Wednesday morning. Current forecasts predict the river to trend downward through next week.
A modified evacuation order remains in effect for the following areas:
- Northeast corner of Tower Street
- Kehrwald Drive
- Channel Drive
- Northernmost portion of Nancy Lou
- Schmidt Road
- Off Mullan Road
Road Closures:
- Northern portions of Tower Street closed to all traffic
- Northernmost portion of Nancy Lou Drive closed to all traffic
- Schmidt Road closed to all traffic
- Hamel Road closed to all traffic
The Clark Fork River from the Reserve Street Bridge to Kona Bridge remains closed until further notice, due to dangers caused by downed power lines in the river and high water levels full of hazardous debris. The closure applies to all water-based recreation.
A flood information line, 258-INFO, is staffed from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Callers will hear an updated recording after hours. Residents affected by flooding can request assistance by filling out the request for disaster assistance form online.
