GREAT FALLS – An ice jam that caused the Milk River to flood in Valley County finally broke Tuesday night.
Valley County Public Information Office Tanja Fransen says the area had the snowiest February on record, which contributed to the flooding.
The county used a plane to check the damage Wednesday morning.
The plane flew from Glasgow to Nashua where the ice jam was along the river, and then back into western parts of the county.
“There are little pieces of ice here and there, but no ice jams remain so it is all free flowing water as of now,” Fransen said.
Fransen said they expect the water to stay high over the next few days and eventually start to drop off next week.
Valley County currently has seven roads that are closed and at least 24 roads with damage due to the flooding.
Fransen said there are also 12 residents with limited or no access to town.
“When I say limited access, that means they are having to take boats or canoes back and forth to get to town and work,” Fransen said.
Fransen said they have gained great experience with handling floods as they have had several over the last decade.
She added they have plans in place to help when emergency situations arise.
“No two floods are alike so we do have to adjust a little bit,” Fransen said.
-Margaret DeMarco reporting for MTN News
