Montana Flooding: Hundreds Trapped in Roundup as Musselshell River Rises Into Flood Stage

March 10,2014

 

 

 

 

Larry Mayer/Billings Gazette

This photo from the Billings Gazette shows residents in front of the Musselshell River Sunday before it went into flood stage.

As many as 350 people are reportedly trapped by floodwaters in a rural area of central Montana and more precipitation is on the way.
The Musselshell River rose above flood stage Monday, making some roads out of the town of Roundup impassible. As many as two dozen homes along the river were evacuated, but hundreds of people may be trapped inside the Dean Creek subdivision south of the city, according to the county disaster coordinator Jeff Gates.
Officials advised residents to stay in place if possible, and were crafting plans to ensure sufficient food and medical supplies were available to any stranded residents. School has been canceled Tuesday.
The rushing water and flowing ice broke a monitoring station along the river, which is making it tough for emergency services workers to track the levels, the Billings Gazette reports. The newspaper has this photo gallery featuring images of washed out bridges and rising water.
(FORECAST: Winter Storm Vulcan)
Sunday, KTVQ reported a 5-mile long ice jam broke free in the river near Roundup and just north of the town of Musselshell. The NWS in Billings also issued river flood warnings for the Gallatin River near Bozeman, Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River as well as Tongue River near Miles City. The situation promopted Gov. Steve Bullock to declare a state of emergency for all of Montana, which will allow the National Guard to respond.

(MORE: Ice Jams Cause Flooding in Montana and Wyoming)
The area is poised to receive yet another round of wintry weather as Winter Storm Vulcan pushes through Tuesday. State officials said they were tracking the situation closely and weighing the need for an emergency order from the governor if things worsen.
Roundup DES is actively keeping people updated on its Facebook page. They've asked concerned people to call 406-323-2777 for more information.

The Musselshell River came over its banks during prolonged flooding in 2011 from late May through mid-June. Dramatic video posted on YouTube shows how the river overtook roads and came up into people's homes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report