BILLINGS – Local authorities have declared a flooding emergency in southeastern Montana as snowmelt and rain threaten to push the Yellowstone River and some of its tributaries to record high levels by early next week.
Yellowstone County disaster director Brad Shoemaker said Friday that low-lying areas of Billings, Laurel, Huntley and Lockwood could see flooding.
Shoemakers says no large-scale evacuations are anticipated, but sandbagging stations will be opened for people who want to take steps to protect their property.
The National Weather Service projects that the Yellowstone River in Billings will crest next Tuesday or Wednesday just above the record level of 15 feet recorded in 1997.
Record water levels also are projected for the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone near Edgar and the Stillwater River near Absarokee.