Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 5.14.14

10 | MAY 14, 2014 NEWS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Debris in the
swollen Still- Facts
water River
near Whiteish FIGURES
Stage Road on
May 12.
GREG LINDSTROM FLAT-
HEAD BEACON
Numbers in the news

11 million

Tourists who visited
Montana in 2013, a new

record, according to the
University of Montana’s

Institute for Tourism and
Recreation Research.

$3.6

billion

Money those tourists
Rising Temperatures Bring Flooding Concerns
spent in the state, a
record also.

90
Smaller rivers in the mountains and so those small rivers and rivers; they won’t hit lood stage yet but
streams will be running high this week,” they will be high and moving fast so peo-
Flathead, including the Smith said.
ple should be careful around the water,”
Residents in Montana The last time the Flathead region was Smith said.
Stillwater, are expected threatened with looding was in the sum- While the heavy snowpack has elevat-
who are 100 years or mer of 2011. This year is also the 50th an- ed concerns about the potential for lood-
older and who were to inch towards lood niversary of the 1964 lood that ravaged ing, it’s good news for farmers and those
much of the Flathead Valley and put Ever- concerned about wildires. The National
honored in Kalispell at stage this weekend
last week’s Governor’s green and parts of Kalispell underwater.
Interagency Fire Center is predicting that
Temperatures will steadily increase 2014’s ire season could arrive later than
Conference on Aging.
By BEACON STAFF
throughout the week and are expected to normal, particularly in northern Wyo-
reach the 70s and 80s by May 15. The Still- ming.
Warm weather could cause area rivers
water River at Lawrence Park in Kalispell The lingering snowpack is keeping
104
to reach lood stage this week, due in part is forecast to hit 7.14 feet by May 17, just a trees and other fuels at higher elevations
to a deep mountain snowpack. The Na- few inches short of the 7.5-foot lood stage. wet, and that’s expected to remain the
tional Weather Service in Missoula issued The area’s main rivers will also see slight case in most areas until August, the Boi-
Years that Glacier has
a hydrologic outlook on May 12 for much increases, but nothing close to lood stage. se-based agency said in its most recent
been a national park. of western Montana in advance of the ris- The Middle Fork of the Flathead River monthly outlook.
The “Crown Jewel” ing temperatures.
near West Glacier was lowing at 4.6 feet But conidence in a less-active ire
of the National Park According to NWS-Missoula meteo- on May 12 and was expected to hit 6.6 feet season begins to fade beyond mid-August,
rologist Trent Smith, the snowpack in the by the weekend. Flood stage on that river meaning there’s potential for blazes to be-
Service celebrated its Flathead Basin is 148 percent of normal is 10 feet.
come more severe as the summer wears
anniversary on May 11.
for this time of year and if it melts rapidly Further west in Lincoln County, the on.

that could cause problems for communi- Yaak will be the river to watch. It is ex- For the latest information about lood-
ties downstream. The snowpack is even pected to hit 7.72 feet on May 17 near Troy; ing conditions across Northwest Mon-
larger in other areas.
lood stage is 8 feet.
tana, visit www.noaa.gov.
“There is still plenty of moisture in the
“Residents should keep an eye on the
[email protected]

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