UPDATE, JULY 17:
Work on installing new temporary bridges on the north and south East Side Road over Rock Creek was underway Sunday.
Carbon Alert says work will continue for the next few weeks.
“As with all flood related construction sites, please help keep the workers safe by avoiding this area,” Carbon Alert said.
UPDATE, JUNE 30 AT 1:23 PM:
Individuals in Carbon County can now apply for assistance from FEMA following flooding in the area.
The City of Red Lodge announced the Major Disaster Declaration was amended to include individual assistance for residents in Carbon County.
You can apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling the FEMA Helpline phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).
Residents are also being reminded that any work in the floodplain requires a floodplain peppermint or joint application to be filed with the City's Floodplain Administrator.
On Friday, July 1, the Carbon Conservation District will be in the office to help with some of the permits required for joint application.
UPDATE: JUNE 23 AT 11:14 AM:
Residents in Carbon County are currently not eligible for individual assistance from FEMA, but the process for this declaration is underway, an update from Carbon County Floods said.
At this time there is no date for when FEMA will be in the Carbon County area to help property owners if assistance becomes available.
Damage assessment teams from the Red Cross, State DES, City Flood plain and others to are in the area collecting information which will help with the individual assistance and other processes according to the update.
Applications for up to $50 for emergency funding to those directly impacted by recent floods who live in the flood zone in Carbon County are being accepted by the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation. You can apply online here or by calling 406-446-2820.
Volunteers helping with the cleanup via hours, donations and equipment use are being asked to record donations separately and detail the work being done.
Forms and examples of how they can be filled out can be found on Inciweb, the Carbon Alert website and at the volunteer tent. You can also call the volunteer hotline at 406-445-7258.
This information will help Carbon County quantify volunteer efforts which is necessary to offset costs for the FEMA Government assistance process according to Carbon Alert.
Mental health resources are also available, and if you feel you would benefit, the Red Lodge Mental Health Center has a list of local and regional therapists. You can call 406 446-2500 for a referral.
You can find more information on emergency work being done and the do's and don'ts for recovery after flooding in the June 23 update from Carbon County Floods here.
UPDATE: JUNE 22 AT 3:04 PM:
Highway 78 has been reopened in both directions from Absarokee and Columbus.
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office says speed has been reduced to 35 miles per hour between mile markers 19 and 20 for the safety of workers and infrastructure in the area.
UPDATE: JUNE 20 AT 12:19 P.M.
The following is a release from Carbon County:
**Unsafe conditions remain in the flooded area, please stay away from closed areas. Heavy equipment will be working in the area and many areas remain unsafe due to undercut sidewalks, roads and bridges**
Local River Gauge Charts For the latest information go to the National Weather Service Hydrograph page: https://www.weather.gov/byz/hydrographs#ClarksForkoftheYellowstone Please note, the Rock Creek Hydrograph near Red Lodge was replaced by USGS on June 17. The height may not be correct after recent changes in the creek channel but it can be used for trends.
Volunteer Tracking:
It is critical that volunteer hours, donations and equipment use: pumps, hoses, skid steers, even brooms, etc. should be recorded separately. Forms and examples of how they can be filled out can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8161/, https://carbonalert.org/incidents/, and at the volunteer tent. You can also call the hotline at 406-445-7258. This information will help Carbon County quantify volunteer efforts which is necessary to offset costs for the FEMA process.
Weather:
Cooler temperatures across the County Monday, 6/20, with high temperatures expected in the 60s and 70s. Showers and Thunderstorms are possible Monday although they should be weaker, less wet and more scattered than Sunday. River levels continue to be monitored and they are not expected to threaten communities.
Evacuation Shelters:
The American Red Cross has setup evacuation shelters at the Red Lodge Fairgrounds and Fromberg High School (food and supplies only).
Custer Gallatin NF Closure:
The Beartooth, Yellowstone and Gardiner Ranger Districts are under an emergency public safety closure. Forest Service personnel are focused on life, human safety, and property, including helping local counties and assessing critical infrastructure across those three districts. Additional information on this closure order can be found on the Custer Gallatin webpage here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/custergallatin/alerts-notices.
Boil Water Order:
All drinking water from the tap in Red Lodge and Fromberg should be boiled before use. Water samples were taken Monday, 6/20, in Red Lodge and are being expedited
FEMA Individual Assistance Update:
Carbon County residents are not currently eligible for individual assistance from FEMA but the process for this declaration is well underway and we expect information on this soon. We do not currently have a date for when FEMA will be in the area to assist property owners if assistance becomes available. The Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) process, an initial step in this application, is almost complete in the county. This is an assessment from the outside of homes and provides a rough estimate of damage for the individual assistance process.
Red Lodge Community Update:
Volunteer coordination efforts are still being coordinated from the tent at 15th Street and Platt. Three basements remain to be mucked out; efforts to remove debris from Finn Park and the roads and yards in town is also a focus.
A potable water truck is stationed at the Civic Center Parking Lot and is available for use; bring a container. Temporary bridges will be placed at the Meeteetse Trail Rd and the north end of East Side Rd. It will be approximately 30 days before they can be driven on. Additional temporary bridges are on order and will be deployed to areas in need upon arrival.
19th St. bridge is open to local traffic only.
Highway 308 to Bearcreek/Belfry is open to the public.
Highway 212 south of Red Lodge is open to the public to the Forest Service boundary approximately 6 miles south of Red Lodge. The Beartooth Pass and Forest Services lands, roads, and trails in the area are still closed. Please respect closure signs and barriers.
National Guard and local law enforcement are in Red Lodge to help manage traffic. Detour information can be found on the Interactive map: https://carboncomt.maps.arcgis.com/.../basic/index.html...
Repairs continue to repair water access to the Park Ave and Kainu Ave areas in Red Lodge. Two large dumpsters are located at Red Lodge Recycling. Additional dumpsters have been ordered. Items damaged by the flood should be broken down to the smallest size possible and brought to the dumpsters. Organic matter (i.e. tree branches) may be brought to the Red Lodge Fire Rescue Training Center, open 12-7 pm, located at 228 Highway 78.
Trash pickup will resume Monday, 6/20, for the areas in Red Lodge affected by the flood. Information boards are located in key areas throughout town including the Post Office, Beartooth IGA and Chamber of Commerce for non-digital information. The Rock Creek drainage south of Red Lodge will be flown Monday for assessment.
Fromberg Community Update:
Clean up continues in town and there is a focus on getting debris removed from the park. Flood damaged items and debris may continue to be brought to the city park, to be disposed of later.
East River Rd. has been transitioned to local traffic only to provide space for heavy equipment and crews to support cleanup operations.
City water is established, with a single well running at this time; there is still a boil order for the town of Fromberg
An information board is being maintained at the Fromberg Post Office to provide non-digital information. Food and water are available at the Fromberg High School.
Edgar/Rockvale Community Update:
Edgar Lagoon was drained and repaired Friday, 6/17, and the lagoon is now operational. All roads should be open.
Bridger Community Update:
Head gates and ditches continue to be monitored. All roads should be open.
Belfry Community Update:
The Riverview Lane Bridge south of Belfry has been repaired, and crews continue to work on fixing Lover’s Lane. Crews are hopeful they can complete the work soon.
Roscoe Community Update:
Crews are still working on Highway 78 access to Roscoe and anticipate work to be completed the middle part of next week. The East Rosebud area will be flown today for assessment Luther Community Update: The Hwy 78 bridge over Red Lodge creek near Luther has been repaired and Hwy 78 is open to Roscoe. Hwy 78 will have increased heavy equipment traffic so please be aware and avoid travel on this route if not necessary.
Additional Information:
● The county is working with the Red Cross, State DES, City Flood plain and others to coordinate property damage assessments.
● There is an account set up at the Billings Regional Landfill for flooded Carbon County residents to use. The Carbon County Relief Fund will cover the charges, but you must get a charge code from the Red Lodge Volunteer tent on 15th & Platt, the volunteer tent in Fromberg, or by calling the Carbon County Disaster Relief line at 406-445-7258.
● Numerous head gates and irrigation ditches in Carbon County have been damaged. County residents planning to do emergency repair work must notify the Conservation District of work within 15 days. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.
- o Carbon County Conservation District: 406-962-3641 Ext 115 or via cell 406-930-5441
- o Carbon County website to access Emergency Notification Form: https://co.carbon.mt.us/departments/floodplain/
- o Farm Service Agency in Joliet: 406-962-3300 (Office likely closed Monday, 6/20).
- o Natural Resource Conservation Service: 406-962-3641 (Office likely closed Monday, 6/20).
● Helicopters may be working in the area. Due to air traffic, do not fly drones in the area.
● The Army Corps of Engineers is assisting local communities with engineering needs.
● The Beartooth Billings Clinic is operational, with some limitations due to the boil water order and is offering FREE TETANUS SHOTS to anyone working cleanup. Available 24/7. Contact BBC for more information.
● Sandbags have been stockpiled throughout the communities. The public can get sandbags if needed.
● If you are visiting the Red Lodge, Luther, Roscoe and Fromberg areas, be aware of construction operations and safety hazards.
Resources Assigned:
Western Montana Type III Incident Management Team, Carbon County DES, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Red Lodge Police Department, Red Lodge Fire & Rescue, Montana Highway Patrol, Fromberg Volunteer Fire Department, Bridger EMS, Bridger Volunteer Fire, American Red Cross, City of Red Lodge, Public Works, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, FEMA, Beartooth Billings Clinic, Carbon County Public Health Department, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana FWP Game Wardens, Salvation Army, Army Corps of Engineers, and Montana National Guard.
UPDATE, JUNE 18 AT 12:10 PM:
The Meeteetse Trail Bridge was removed by Carbon County crews Friday and a temporary bridge has been ordered.
An update from Carbon Alert says additional temporary bridges are also on order, and will be deployed as they arrive.
As of Saturday, Highway 308 to Bearcreek/Belfry is open to the public and emergency operators have stabilized the 9th St. bridge, to be used for emergency response efforts and local traffic.
Highway 212 south of Red Lodge is also only open to local traffic.
The National Guard and local law enforcement are managing traffic.
You can find information on road closures and detours on the Carbon Alert Incident Map here.
Those who have items damaged by the flood can dispose of the min dumpsters located at Red Lodge Recycling. You are asked to break down the items into the smallest size possible before putting them in the dumpsters.
If the dumpsters are full, do not leave things on the ground.
Any organic matters like tree branches can be brought to the Red Lodge Fire Training Center located at 228 Highway 78.
In Fromberg, Carbon Alert says the volunteer coordinator from Red Lodge visited Fromberg on Friday to help organize volunteer efforts, including outreach and prioritization of needs.
The local bridge has been inspected and is approved for use and the sewer plant is operating with no major water leaks.
A single well is running and city water is being re-established.
Two dumpsters are available at the baseball field. Things being thrown out should be e broken down to the smallest size possible and brought to the dumpsters. If dumpsters are full, do not leave items on the ground.
Carbon County Disaster and Emergency Services announced the build order for the town of Edgar has been lifted and people can go back to normal water use.
An evaluation of the sewer lagoons is still in progress, but it is hoped to have more information regarding their integrity soon.
People are asked to continue to use the portable toilets and keep sewer usage to a minimum.
In Bridger, the work on the Orchard ditch is done and two other headgates in the area are being monitored.
In Belfry, the Riverview Lane Bridge south of Belfry has been repaired, and crews will move onto fixing Lover’s Lane.
Crews are still working on Highway 78 access to Roscoe and work is anticipated to be done by mid-next week.
Community members can ask Commissioner Bullock and members of the Incident Management Team questions Saturday as tehy will be at the Grizzly Bar parking lot, located at 22 E Rosebud Rd, Roscoe from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
An account has been set up at the Bllings Regional Landfill for flooded Carbon County residents to use.
According to Carbon Alert, the Carbon County Relief Fund will cover the charges, but you must get a charge code from the Red Lodge Volunteer tent on 15th & Platt, the volunteer tent in Fromberg, or by calling the Carbon County Disaster Relief line at 406-445-7258.
The community of Red Lodge announced they are open for business.
UPDATE, JUNE 17 AT 1:19 PM:
As people in Carbon County start to clean up, the county says residents planning to do emergency repair work on irrigation structures need to notify the Carbon Conservation District of their intent.
You can either complete an Emergency Notification Form found on the Carbon County website here and submit it or call Carbon Conservation District at 406-962-3641 Ext 115 or via cell at 406-930-5441.
The Montana Department of Transportation is also looking for help from the public to document the damage done by the flood.
Information will be used to help in collecting consolidated impact information and will be provided to other State and Federal agencies as they assess the damage.
You can find the forum to report damage here.
UPDATE, JUNE 15 AT 7:37 PM:
Carbon Alert is reporting that the Highway 308 Bridge in Red Lodge reopened to traffic at 7:30 pm on Wednesday.
People are asked to proceed with caution, to respect other road closures in the area and to watch for heavy equipment.
An update from Carbon County on road conditions and evacuations in the county says water is expected to recede, however, people are urged to stay alert as a significant warming trend is expected by Friday or Saturday.
UPDATE, JUNE 15 AT 4:19 PM:
An update from Carbon County on road conditions and evacuations in the county says water is expected to recede, however, people are urged to stay alert as a significant warming trend is expected by Friday or Saturday.
Public Works staff and the Montana Department of Transportation are assessing damage done by the floods and the public is being told to stay away from flooded and closed areas for their own safety.
Red Lodge, Fromberg and Edgar are still under a biol order as of 3:00 pm Wednesday. The update says Public Works has reestablished water service to parts of Red Lodge, but significant damage has been done to the infrastructure.
Crews are continuing to clean up impacted roads and bridges.
The Highway 308 bridge in Red Lodge is still closed, and Highway 212 south of Red Lodge is closed for the foreseeable future.
Evacuation orders in Red Lodge have been lifted.
In Belfry, Lover’s Lane is still under evacuation orders.
All areas east of Highway 310, south of East River Road west of the river in Fromberg are still under evacuation orders.
No evacuation orders are in effect in Joliet or Bridger.
All National Forest System Lands on the Yellowstone, Gardiner and Beartooth Ranger Districts are under an area closure, including all National Forest System Lands in Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass and Gallatin counties within the National Forest Boundary.
Crews are working to restore the 19th St. bridge in Red Lodge as well as the Meeteetse bridge.
The update reports that the Highway 308 bridge is compromised and crews are working to restore it.
Work on access to the water plant is also under-way.
NorthWestern Energy is out to fix gas lines and restore power poles.
Bridge engineers arrived Wednesday to work with contrary road departments on assessing damage.
At this time, there are two evacuation shelters, one at the Fromberg School and one at the Red Lodge Fairgrounds.
A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:00 pm at Fromberg School, 319 School St. It will be streamed live to the Carbon Alerts Facebook page.
Sandbags are available to the public at Fromberg School, the Joliet Road Shop at 202 State St. or at the Bridger Road Shop at 22 Old Mine.
You can find current information on the Carbon Alert Facebook or by calling 406-426-2425.
The following is a press release from Carbon County:
The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River near Fromberg and Edgar are experiencing significant flood impacts as well as Rock Creek in Red Lodge. It is expected that water will continue to recede today. A significant warming trend is expected this Friday/Saturday and the public is urged to stay alert of changing water conditions. Public Works staff along with Montana Department of Transportation are assessing the damage due to the floods. The public is urged to stay away from the flooded and closed areas for their own safety. A boil order is still in effect for Red Lodge, Fromberg and Edgar.
Road Updates:
For updated road conditions check the MT DOT website: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/alerts.aspx and the MDT 511 App. Crews are continuing clean-up efforts on impacted roads and bridges. Highway 308 bridge in Red Lodge remains closed. Highway 212 South of Red Lodge remains closed for the foreseeable future.
Current evacuation orders in effect:
Red Lodge: Evacuation orders in Red Lodge have been lifted.
Belfry: Lover’s Lane. Fromberg: All areas east of Highway 310, south of East River Road west of the river.
Joliet: No evacuation orders are in effect at this time.
Bridger: No evacuation orders in effect at this time.
All drinking water from the tap should be boiled before use in Red Lodge, Fromberg and Edgar. Public Works has reestablished water service to parts of Red Lodge but significant damage to the infrastructure has occurred and parts of Red Lodge remain without water. Water is out in Fromberg as water pumps supplying the town were underwater.
Forest Service Closures:
An area closure is in effect for all National Forest System Lands on the Yellowstone, Gardiner and Beartooth Ranger Districts. This applies to all National Forest System Lands in Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass and Gallatin counties within the National Forest Boundary.
Planned Actions:
As water recedes, ongoing assessments of area roads/bridges will continue today. Crews are working to restore 19th Street bridge in Red Lodge; however, this road remains closed to the public. Highway 308 bridge is comprised, remains closed to the public and crews are working to restore the Highway 308 bridge. Crews will also be working on Meteetsee bridge; however, this road remains closed to the public. Crews are working to reestablish access to the water plant today and clearing debris out of roadway in Red Lodge. Crews will be in Fromberg and Belfry today working on road access. Lover’s Lane in Belfry remains closed. Northwestern Energy will be working in the area fixing gas lines and working on restoring electric poles. Bridge engineers arrived today and will be working with county road departments on assessing damage.
Evacuation Shelters:
The American Red Cross has setup evacuation shelters located at the following locations:
• Fromberg School
• Red Lodge Fairgrounds
Public Meeting:
A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 16th at Fromberg School at 6:00 PM at 319 School St, Fromberg, MT 59029. The meeting will also be lived stream to Facebook Live at the Carbon Alerts Facebook page.
Sandbags:
The public can get sandbags at the following locations, volunteers have been assisting with filling bags:
• Fromberg School
• Joliet Road Shop, 202 State Street
• Bridger Road Shop, 22 Old Mine
Weather: Seasonally cooler weather remains today with temperatures in the 60’s in the lower elevations with upper elevations in 40- 50’s. No significant rain is expected over the next 24-48 hours. Warmer weather is expected to arrive tomorrow and into Friday and Saturday. Water levels will potentially rise with the warmer weather moving in the region later in the week. The public is urged to remain cautious, stay alert of changing water conditions and stay clear of flooded areas.
Resources Assigned:
The Western Montana Type III Incident Management Team continues to assist local flood relief efforts. Numerous agencies are on scene including: Carbon County DES, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Red Lodge Police Department, Red Lodge Fire & Rescue, Montana Highway Patrol, Fromberg Volunteer Fire Department, Bridger EMS, Bridger Volunteer Fire, American Red Cross, City of Red Lodge, Public Works, Forest Service, Beartooth Billings Clinic, Carbon County Public Health Department, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana FWP Game Wardens, Two Bear Air, and Montana National Guard.
