Power Line Falls in River – Waters Recede but will Rise Again
The flooding in Missoula caused even more destruction on Sunday, as a power pole in the Tower Street area toppled into the swollen Clark Fork River.
Public Information Officer Mel Holtz said the waters simply eroded the base of the power pole.
“The flood water eroded away some of the power poles and some of that soil,” said Holtz. “One of those power poles actually topped over, causing some of the power lines to go into the water and arch all the way over the water over by Schmidt Lane. So, it’s a significant safety concern. We do still have some people out recreating and we want to get the word out that there are power poles that have tipped and arched into that water, and it is a significant safety risk.”
Holtz said the power lines were not energized, so there was no danger of electrocution.
Holtz said flood levels have receded a bit, but that waters are expected to rise again to their former flood levels.
“We’re seeing levels now down under the 13, and into that 12 foot area, which puts us into moderate flooding at this point,” he said. “We do have a little bit of a break or a lull in that, but with the warm weather coming here and again we’re going to see those levels increase back up, and by the end of the week, be right back up to the 14 foot mark where we were, or slightly greater.”
In one of the dozens of stories about how the Missoula community has been reaching out to flood victims, Missoula Alliance Church Pastor Micah Dalby explained how the church got involved last week.
“This month we were able to help people with over $400.00 of grocery and gas cards to the families that were being evacuated and relocated,” said Dalby. “There was one family in particular with four kids that had no place to go, and was not able to be evacuated into a home, so we were able to put them up in a motel for four nights, and so we’re just so grateful for the ability to be involved in relieving the burdens of the people in our community.”
Another casualty of the flooding is the popular Linda Vista Golf Course, nestles by the banks of the Bitterroot River. Virtually the entire golf course was flooded over the weekend.