LIBBY, Mont. – Flooding in and around Libby has caused significant damage, with local officials responding to the crisis.
Lincoln County officials reported that emergency crews worked through the night to close roads and assess the damage after water overtopped roadways.
Sheriff Darren Short emphasized the long-term nature of the event, stating, “As you know, this is a major event. It’s going to be a long-term event for us. This isn’t going to be something that we can fix overnight. We anticipate finding much more damage as we’re able to start our reassessment of the areas we’re finding more or service bridges that are out, more roadways that are compromised and washed out.”
Several bridges, including the Farm-to-Market Road and 5th Street bridges, were damaged. At least five bridges have been compromised, forcing some residents to drive dozens of miles out of their way to reach their homes.
In addition to transportation issues, drinking water in Libby is under a boil order due to compromised lines. Officials are also assessing possible damage to the water supply dam.
As floodwaters affected low-lying areas, the American Red Cross opened a shelter to support residents in need. Kristie Eggebroten from the American Red Cross noted the community’s resilience, saying, “So far, the community’s been very resilient and supportive of one another. We’ve had very light traffic. We had one resident overnight who’s been able to go home this morning. And so now we’re primarily offering cleaning services. And the shelter is still open. If folks need a place to stay or just a respite place to come and charge their electronics, just receive some support. And we’re here for them.”
The Red Cross shelter remains open as officials continue damage assessments. Sheriff Short expects more impacts to be identified as crews access hard-to-reach areas. The recovery process could last months, if not years.
