The water has been rising and falling and is expected to continue that cycle for at least the next couple of weeks. While the snow is out of the valley, there is still 65 inches of water in the mountains.
SEELEY LAKE – Highlights from the Missoula County Flood Information meeting held Tuesday, May 8 at Seeley-Swan High School:
Evacuations Update
• Sheriff's Office is monitoring areas of concern making sure roadways are kept open and people are notified if issues arise.
• There will be more officers in the area and they are making face-to-face contact with residents in the affected areas including Boy Scout Road, C Street, Cabin Lane, and Deer Park off of Airport Road, Morrell Creek. They will be answering questions and providing information about pre-evacuations.
• No evacuation warnings have been issued at this time for Seeley Lake.
Weather
• The Jocko Lakes SNOTEL site (6,300 feet elevation) indicates none of the snow has come out of the mountains, it has just packed down with the warmer weather. There is still 10 feet of snow and 65 inches of water. Since last October there has been 75 inches of precipitation, average is around 38 inches. We are at 174% of normal.
• The National Weather Service estimates a month an a half for the snow to come off.
• Weather to watch is days about 80 degrees followed by precipitation.
• Call the National Weather Service at 329-4840 to talk to a meteorologist any time.
Local Resources:
• Sign up for SMART911 for evacuation warnings and orders.
• American Red Cross opened a shelter at Mission Bible Fellowship Tuesday afternoon. They will remain open as long as it is being used. If it goes unused for 24 hours it will go into standby and can reopen in four-six hours if the need arises again. Call the Red Cross at 1-800-272-6668 if the shelter is needed and it is not staffed.
• There are empty sandbags at the Seeley Lake Fire Department. They can be filled from piles at the fire department, Missoula County Satellite Office, Seeley Lake 1-Stop, Nature Scapes and on Redwood Lane between Rent-All and Timberline. Missoula County provided the sandbags and local contractors including John Richards Construction, I Know Jack and Deer Creek Excavating have been providing the material to fill the bags at not charge.
• If you or someone you know wants to volunteer to fill sandbags or if you questions about local resources, contact the Seeley Lake Fire Department Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Well and Septic Safety
• If the well head is under water or water is being pulled directly from the lake, assume the water is contaminated.
• Depending on how the well is constructed, water around the well may also contaminate the well.
• Water tests are recommended. The Missoula City-County Health Department can do testing. Water bottles for testing are available at the Seeley Lake Fire Department. The test is $15 plus postage. It takes between 24-40 hours for the results.
• Boil water for five minutes before drinking or cooking or use bottled water.
• If a septic system is covered in water but is still working, the waste water and sewage is not being treated. Assume sewage is in the flood waters. People are asked that they stop using their septic systems or limit use.
• Often the case is the systems fails backing up into the house. If water is coming into the house, it is almost certainly coming from the sewer. Anything it touches, even if it appears to be "clean" water must be treated and disinfected.
• Do not pump your tank. If surrounded by water, the tank can float up because of more pressure on the outside of the tank breaking connections and destroying the system.
• If there is water in the crawl space of basement, don't pump into house drains. If all the flood water is pumped into the septic systems.
• Call the Health Department at 258-4755 with questions.
• One of the best ways to keep from getting sick from flood waters is to wash your hand.
For More Information:
• For the latest updates on flooding in Missoula County, call the OEM hotline at 406-258-INFO (4636). The line is staffed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Visit https://www.missoulacounty.us/government/public-safety/office-of-emergency-management/des/flood-safety for information from Missoula County Flood Information and daily updates
• Visit Inciweb for updates: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5787/
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