Governor Gianforte Receives Incident Command Briefing on Flooding in Libby

Governor's Office

LIBBY, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today received an incident command briefing from Montana Disaster & Emergency Services (MT DES) and the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) following severe flooding that occurred yesterday in northwest Montana.

The governor was scheduled to visit Libby to survey the damage and attend the briefing, but inclement weather prevented his in-person attendance, and he instead joined the briefing remotely.

"Continued rainfall across northwest Montana has flooded some of our communities, including the towns of Libby and Troy," Gov. Gianforte said. "I appreciate the swift response of our State Emergency Coordination Center and local incident management teams and thank those working around the clock to respond and recover. The state stands ready to help."

During a briefing held by MT DES Northwest District Field Officer Ed Greiberis, Lincoln County Sheriff Darren Short, and the incident public information officer, Zach Sherbo, the governor received an update on the timeline of the flooding and the status of recovery.

Since December 8, the Fisher and Yaak Rivers in northwestern Montana have experienced significant rises due to historic rainfall and snowmelt. The Fisher River has risen nearly four feet and was nearing minor flood stage by Thursday afternoon, while the Yaak River has risen roughly five feet, putting it above the eight-foot flood stage.

The public information officer shared that upwards of nine bridges have been compromised in the flooding. He specifically noted the Farm to Market Road Bridge over Libby Creek which sustained damage from rising waters yesterday resulted in its failure. The Montana Department of Transportation reports that the bridge approach has eroded by about 200 feet. Further inspection of damage will be possible when water recedes.

Sherbo also indicated that bridge and road closures have resulted in up to 40-mile detours for some residents in Troy and Libby, and that they are not aware of any lost structures at this time. A boil water order for the City of Libby remains in effect with guidance for residents to boil water for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or dishwashing.

Yesterday, Gov. Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a flooding disaster in northwestern Montana to help meet resource and funding needs. Before issuing the order, the governor spoke with Sheriff Short to offer state assistance.

"Thank you for your phone call yesterday. It gave us a boost and had us headed in the right direction," Sheriff Short said before the briefing.

The governor's executive order declaring an emergency in northwest Montana may be viewed here . Local first responders in Lincoln County are maintaining a map of current road and bridge closures, it can be viewed here . Finally, the Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center is operating a public information call line for residents at 406-293-6295.

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