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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Region Floods; What’s Next? Runoff Fills Homes, Washes Out Roads

Winda Benedetti And Adam Lynn S Staff writer

Melting snow baptised the New Year in the Inland Northwest Wednesday as runoff poured from the mountains and rain-choked streams overflowed their banks.

In Shoshone County, water sloshed into basements and inched up the sides of mobile homes. Flooding washed out roads and left volunteers struggling to divert overflowing streams from homes.

The city of Kellogg declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning due to the excessive runoff.

The city of Rockford, Wash., was inundated with 4 feet of water, and a Spangle woman was hurt trying to rescue her children from a fast-flowing stream. In southwest Spokane, homes were in danger of being overrun by surging Latah Creek.

Spokane County Sheriff John Goldman declared the state of emergency about 3:30 p.m., making the county eligible for help from state agencies and putting local police and fire crews on alert.

“The flooding that has developed over the past 48 hours has threatened lives and considerable property,” Goldman said. “Bridges, roads and people’s homes are being threatened.”

Water began rising across the Inland Northwest after last month’s record snowfall began melting in 40 degree temperatures and heavy rains passed over the region.

“We’re concerned that conditions may be deteriorating instead of getting better,” Goldman said. “The next 24 hours should tell.”

The forecast calls for more rain and warm temperatures today.

The weather created problems throughout North Idaho Wednesday. Runoff from the mountains flooded the Ponderosa Golf Course in Coeur d’Alene and filled home basements with water in the French Gulch area.

While the Coeur d’Alene River remained at a safe level, bursting streams and mountain runoff flooded Pinehurst, Kellogg, Kingston, Silverton and Smelterville.

“Several of the streams that run off the mountains have undercut roads and gone into the basement of several houses,” said Bill Scott, disaster coordinator for Shoshone County.

About nine Kellogg homes were cut off after a stream washed out the road to their neighborhood, he said.

Milo Creek overflowed and rushed toward the Amy Lynn Apartments in Kellogg, said Shoshone County Commissioner Sherry Krulitz. Sandbagging helped divert the water around the buildings and down a street instead.

At Bisaro’s Trailer Park outside of Kellogg, water has inched up to the mobile home doorways, Krulitz said.

“Comparing this to the last flood, we’ve had a lot more water a lot quicker than we did last year,” said Billie Irwin, acting Kellogg mayor.

The St. Joe River between St. Maries an Calder is expected to reach flood stage by today, Krulitz said.

Rain and runoff wasn’t the only problem. Heavy snow collapsed at least one mobile home in Boundary County Wednesday.

The Army National Guard continued to remove snow from the roofs of public buildings in Bonner and Boundary counties and is expected to help remove snow from downtown Mullan this week as well.

In other parts of Idaho, Highway 95 from Payette to Weiser and at Midvale was closed when the Payette River flooded. The highway also suffered major damage at Pinehurst in Adams County where a debris slide severed the road leaving a 1500-foot gap.

About 45 families in Washington County were evacuated from their homes because of the flood threat. Mudslides in Washington, Adams and Boise counties have also closed many of the highways leading north.

In Eastern Washington, Rock Creek spilled its banks about 5 a.m., sending nearly 4 feet of water into downtown Rockford, officials said.

Four families fled their homes to escape the rising waters. They won’t be able to return for some time, said Carrie Roecks, city clerk.

Several buildings and the city’s fire station sustained heavy damage, and owner of a video store and sports card shop transferred his inventory to the City Hall after his building was saturated.

Travelers needed boats to traverse State Highway 278, which runs through Rockford to the Idaho-Washington state line.

“The park’s underwater. All the fair buildings are underwater. People are pumping out their basements. It’s just incredible,” Roecks said.

Near Spangle, a 38-year-old woman suffered hypothermia about noon Wednesday after falling into a fast-flowing seasonal creek near her home.

Robin Branch was trying to pull three of her five children out of the stream when she slipped into it, firefighters said.

The kids - who are between the ages of 8 and 12 - were playing near the water when they fell in, firefighters said.

The children got out but Branch was trapped by the strong current, said Bill Dennstaedt of Spokane County Fire District 3. One of the kids ran home and called 911.

“She actually was totally submerged and was stuck there for a while before we got her out,” said Dennstaedt, who estimated Branch was in the icy water for nearly 15 minutes.

She was taken by helicopter to Sacred Heart Medical Center. None of the children required medical attention, Dennstaedt said.

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