Warm weather leads to rising water in county
<p>The intersection of Fifth Avenue East and Alder Street in Superior fills with water from rain and melting snow. The competition creates a perfect recipe for flooding throughout the county. </p>
MINERAL COUNTY – As blizzard conditions give way to rain with warm temperatures, the risk of flooding rises as water flows freely and gets trapped in deep areas.
According to George Gupton, disaster and emergency services coordinator, there is a chance of flooding, but it is not too severe in Mineral County. He said the area had fairly good drainage and there was more of a flood risk in the surrounding counties.
“The river bed is deep enough that it fits moisture in pretty well,” Gupton said. “In the 40 years that I’ve been here I’ve seen some flooding around St. Regis, but that was many years ago.”
While the Clark Fork River is unlikely to flood, some streams and creeks around St. Regis might. The shallow beds and flat valley floor could lead to overflow as the water levels rise.
According to Gupton, the floods are being caused by the ground coming out of winter. The frozen ground does not allow water to soak in, leaving the water to pool on the ground or run freely. He said some homes had already seen some light flooding as basements provide a place for water to settle.
“In Alberton, I know we’ve had some basements fill up and the houses surrounded by water,” Gupton said. “Once the soil is thawed, then the water can soak in.”
There have not been any reports of serious floods. So far, most of the flooding has been water pooling on the roads.
Gupton encourages people to drive safely on the wet roads. He said driving slow would decrease the chances of a vehicle hydroplaning or losing control. Hydroplaning is where the vehicle hits a pool of water and the tires try to find traction on the water’s surface. This can cause the vehicle to suddenly lose speed or start to fishtail. Gupton also noted water flowing across the road could pull a vehicle off the road.
“Slow down, drive carefully, just be aware of what you’re getting into,” Gupton said. “And don’t drive into any ponds where you don’t really know how deep they are.”
Gupton said there was not much the county could do to prevent light flooding. They have been working to keep culverts and drainage ditches clear with help from the highway department, but some areas cannot be improved.
According to Gupton, the flood danger could go up if there were warm temperatures during the day and at night. Warm rains would also increase the risk. With temperatures still predicted to drop below freezing at night, Gupton was not too worried about this being a factor.
“If it cools off at night, that kind of slows it down and the stuff melts and goes away,” Gupton said.
Sandbags are available to help protect areas from flowing water. Gupton said people looking for sandbags should contact him at 240-9395. The fire departments can also provide sandbags. He asks people to notify him or the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office of any areas where water has seriously begun to pool.