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Montana Rains Bring Moderate Flooding, Close Roads

Heavy rains prompted the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to declare an emergency

By Associated Press

HELENA — Heavy rains caused flooding that closed several roads in northern and central Montana, sent water along Main Street in Augusta, and prompted the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to declare an emergency.

The Helena Independent Record reports that rains delivered minor flooding to central Augusta and closed nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of Highway 287 on Sunday.

To the south, the Dearborn River was expected to crest on Monday after reaching moderate flood stage level.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Monday for parts of Lewis and Clark, Pondera, Glacier and Teton counties in northwestern Montana. Most impacts were expected west of Interstate 15.

The warning cited a moderate flooding risk and follows more than 5 inches of rain in recent days along the eastern Rocky Mountains. It was in effect until Wednesday.

Minor flooding along the Sun River west of Great Falls was expected Monday, the service said.

To the north, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation issued a flood emergency declaration and set up a Red Cross shelter after the Two Medicine River and several area creeks overflowed their banks on Sunday.

No one evacuated despite water seeping into several homes, and conditions were improving Monday, said Lyle St. Goddard, who was coordinating the Blackfeet Nation emergency response.

“We’re doing some sandbagging today just in case,” St. Goddard said.

In south central and southeast Montana, periods of heavy rain were possible through Tuesday and could prompt flooding in areas with already saturated soil, the weather service said.