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Heavy Rain Along Rocky Mountain Front Leads to Flooding

Flood watch issued for Glacier County until 6 p.m.

By Beacon Staff and Associated Press

Heavy rain falling along the Rocky Mountain Front over the last several days has triggered flooding, closed some roads and trapped a horseback party in the Scapegoat Wilderness.

A flood watch has been issued for parts of Glacier County and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation until 6 p.m. Tuesday, including East Glacier Park, St. Mary and Browning. Jason Anglin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls, said the Two Medicine River near Browning was at minor flood stage around 12 p.m. and that other creeks and rivers could rise in the coming hours.

Further south, the Montana Department of Transportation closed U.S. Highway 287 around Augusta Tuesday because water from Elk Creek was running over the road. The National Weather Service says up to a foot (30 centimeters) of water was running down a street in Augusta.

The Dearborn River near Craig was at moderate flood stage Tuesday and the Sun River near Simms was expected to reach moderate flood stage by Tuesday evening, threatening homes.

A dozen members of a horseback party were rescued by helicopter Tuesday morning after the rain washed out their camp and they were trapped on the wrong side of the Dearborn River in the Scapegoat Wilderness southwest of Augusta.