Moyie to exceed flood stage by Friday

The Moyie River is expected to exceed flood stage Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28, according to Boundary County Emergency Incident Commander Bob Graham.

Graham told the Boundary Commissioners at a meeting Tuesday that the water is getting higher due to the warmer weather combined with rain.

The Kootenai River is expected to come within six inches of flood stage, however is already seeping into the farms and low lying areas as it does when it reached a level of 1,758 cubic feet per second.

“I measured the cfs this morning at it was 1758.03, “ Graham said. “I did again a bit ago and it was 1758.18 and only a small amount of time passed.”

Graham said he expects it will get worse during the next couple of weeks.

“The weather service said we should have thunder storms Wednesday through Saturday,” Graham said.

Libby Dam operators reduced the outflow from 16,000 cfs to 14,000 cfs Wednesday.  [They did this to keep the Kootenai River in Bonners Ferry below flood stage which is at 1,764 cfs.

The flow through Bonners Ferry on Wednesday was reported to be already a bit lower from Tuesday at 1,758.9 cfs.

“There are still plenty of sandbags and available for people who want to prepare,” Graham said. “This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone as we have been reporting about this anticipated flooding for two week,” he said.

There are free sand bags located at the front fence of Boundary County Road and Bridge. The also can be picked up at the county landfill.

If a flooding-related problem arises that is out of your control, call the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office, 267-3151.

Short-term forecasts for Bonners Ferry can be found here:

www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplow/flowplot.cgi?lid=BF BFEI1