Flooding in Montana, June 4 to 14, 1996

Major damage from flooding occurred mainly in Ravalli County were numerous roads were flooded and washed out. The worst road damage occurred on the Skalkaho Highway between the Bitterroot Valley and the Philipsburg/Anaconda area were water was diverted into the road in several places. Flooding on the Bitterroot River caused the Victor Crossing Bridge in Ravalli County to move six inches down stream and drop 23 inches. Estimated repair to fix the bridge is one million dollars. Flooding on the Bitterroot also caused erosion east of Victor, exposing a high pressure gas line crossing the river to Victor.$10,000 damage also occurred to septic tanks in the Warm Springs area of Deer Lodge County were 40 to 50 homes were threatened along Warm Spings Creek.Seven damaged areas in the Fisher drainage near Libby Creek in Lincoln County is expected to cost $500,000 to repair. Flooding in Libby Creek had washed out a bridge leading into Howard Lake. Libby Creek road had a 400-foot long piece of pavement and road base washed out, six feet wide.In Flathead County, the East Side Road to Hungry Horse Reservoir has been closed due to a massive road slump due to flooding. Felix Creek also caused about 100 yards of a road to drop off a cliff.The flooding peaked on June 11, when widespread flooding occurred in both Missoula and Ravalli Counties. A dike on the Bitterroot River near Lolo was breached for about a 50 yard break, flooding yards and homes in the area and the Linda Vista Golf Course south of Missoula. The flood water floated two chest freezers out of one garage in Lolo. A private levee broke near the Clark Fork River in Missoula flooding the area.A few deaths occurred on the rivers during this period. On June 6, a man drove into the Bitterroot River near Sula and drowned. On June 7, a 24 year old man died after jumping off a Missoula bridge into the Bitterroot River as he was swept away. A 22 year old man died on June 9, swimming in the fast currents of the Blackfoot River east of Bonner.