Residents Evacuated From Rising River

Residents of about 16 homes were evacuated Tuesday when the Pend Oreille River turned several residential areas into islands.

Meanwhile, patches to the dike at Cusick continued to hold and no new leaks were found, said JoAnn Boggs, Pend Oreille County emergency services director.

The evacuation was along Yergens Road, near Dalkena. Boggs said a 24-hour guard was posted to prevent looting.

Some of the residents had already left when the evacuation was ordered, Boggs said.

Some are staying with friends and family and others have motor homes. No one has accepted a Red Cross offer to open a shelter.

The river rose slightly - less than a foot from Monday’s level - and about five more homes reported flooded basements. They are near the Outpost Resort, about 15 miles north of Cusick.

Until Tuesday, most flooding had been in the Dalkena area, halfway between Cusick and Newport.

Slowed by cooler temperatures in Montana, the river flow is expected to peak Friday at 135,000 cubic feet per second at Albeni Falls Dam near Newport, Boggs said.

, DataTimes