North Idaho Starting To Dry Out, Again Rivers Receding, But Basements Remain Soaked, Roads Are Washed Out And Dikes Weakened

As the flood waters sank back into the banks of the Coeur d’Alene River on Friday, Cataldo resident Vern Blalack was able to turn his attention home.

As a result of Wednesday’s rainstorm, the water table rose, flooding some residential basements, including the Blalack’s.

“I’ve got three or four inches,” he said Friday. “I’m in the basement now, building a fire” in a woodstove.

By Friday afternoon, the river had dropped below flood stage. Road crews returned to Latour Creek Road to repair damage from the storm.

The road washed out in the same place it had washed out during February flooding. The 75 families trapped for two days because of flood damage to the road were able to get out by Friday afternoon.

Latour Creek also pummeled a dike that protects about 11 homes. Where the dike had been 15 feet or wider, in one spot it was only about five feet wide after the flood, Blalack said.

“I was afraid it was going to go this time,” he said.

County disaster services workers turned off the portable water pumps just west of town where the dike had been leaking. The leaking stopped once the water level dropped.

On Pine Creek, the bridge that had been two feet under water on Wednesday still was unusable. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continued to work on the approaches that had washed away in the storm.

In St. Maries, the St. Joe River was dropping, but remained about three feet above flood stage in the early afternoon, despite overnight rains.

“There wasn’t any wallop to the rain,” said Mike Maland, Benewah County disaster services coordinator.

The river is expected to drop below flood stage late today.

Authorities warned of boating hazards due to the large amount of debris washed down by the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe rivers.

Water continued to leak through dikes in two locations, Maland said. One of the leaks was under state Highway 3, but the U.S. Corps of Engineers determined it still was safe to travel.

Repairs to the dikes are expected to cost $1.5 million, Maland said.

Lapwai and Cottonwood creeks in Nez Perce County were reported to be high and over their banks in places.

The National Weather Service forecast called for scattered showers Friday night and today in the Panhandle, but much of it was expected to fall as snow in the mountains.

The precipitation was not expected to raise stream and river levels. Warmer and drier weather is forecast for Sunday and Monday.

, DataTimes