GREAT FALLS — A state of emergency has been declared in the town of Choteau.
Chris Hindoien, the mayor, said on Friday afternoon that after consulting with several governmental agencies, they decided to declare a "State of Emergency" within the city limits of Choteau.
Hindoien said in a post on the city Facebook page:
- This was not an easy decision, yet one that was necessary to facilitate access to County, State and Federal resources. The map shows the area in town where our wastewater system is surcharged. We are asking all citizens in that area of town to limit their use of laundry, dishes, baths and toilets.
- The National Weather Service will keep the FLOOD WARNING in effect until further notice. NWS said that temperatures in Choteau are not expected to reach above freezing until mid-day Sunday. This change in weather may step up the issues before they settle back down.
- We have sandbags available if you want them!
- Please know that while my house isn't experiencing this issues, I am there for you all. I am learning and working with some of the best folks I know, here in Choteau, down in Helena and beyond. You can reach out to the City office with questions or you can reach out to me. I will gladly come and listen and walk through any issues the water is causing you and do what I can within the guidlines provided by the City to make this temporary problem better for us all. Keep checking in for more updates as they come available.
We wil update you as we get more information.
(THURSDAY, JANUARY 16) After rising water levels threatened to flood some home in Choteau on Wednesday, Mayor Chris Hindoien said there hasn’t been any more widespread flooding.
Hindoien said, “Once we got the water flowing fast enough, it pretty much took care of itself.”
Hindoien added that some sunshine would help keep the creek flowing smoothly and ensure that the city stays flood-free.
“Some sunshine would be a godsend,” Hindoien said.
However, a change in the weather could cause the ice to jam and the the waters to rise once again.
Because of that, the flood warning will stay in effect until Friday at 2:15 pm - - at which point city officials can either extend the flood warning or roll back to a flooding advisory instead.
