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Warming weather brings flood watch for region’s rivers

By Jody Lawrence-Turner jodyl@spokesman.com(509) 459-5593

Flooding is possible in North Idaho this weekend as rivers swell from temperatures that could climb into the 80s, weather experts said Tuesday.

Spokane-area waterways will be under watch next week.

“We are looking for rises of most rivers,” said Royce Fontenot, service hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

Shoshone County commissioners have issued a state of emergency for potential flooding of the Coeur d’Alene River in the Wallace, Kellogg and Prichard areas.

“We are looking at the Coeur d’Alene River reaching flood stage Saturday night into Sunday” as of Tuesday’s forecast, Fontenot said. The Coeur d’Alene River hasn’t been this high since 1997, when there was flooding in the Cataldo and St. Maries areas.

Homes and businesses were evacuated when the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers overflowed. Federal disaster relief helped businesses rebuild.

Winnie Williams lives in the Pinehurst area. She is aware of the potential flooding but said she feels relatively safe.

When she went to look at the Coeur d’Alene River recently, “it didn’t look bad,” Williams said. “It’s holding its own, and it had very little color.” The murkier and muddier the water looks, the more potential danger.

But Williams said a friend of hers is concerned enough that she’s packing a suitcase each day when she goes to work just in case she can’t get back to her Kingston-area home.

The St. Maries River also is expected to reach flood stage Saturday night into Sunday, Fontenot said. The Moyie River is another concern.

Later in the week focus will turn to the Spokane River. Everything that goes into Lake Coeur d’Alene eventually flows down to the Spokane, Fontenot said.

Temperatures have been increasing and are expected to peak about 87 degrees on Sunday.

Once the snow starts to melt, flooding quickly follows, Fontenot said.

If warm weather continues, river levels could increase. But the next weather system coming through on Tuesday is expected to bring a return of cool temperatures.