Flood damage minor so far

Old River Road in Shoshone County remained by floodwaters on the Coeur d’Alene River and authorities were using two boats near Cataldo to keep a lifeline open to stranded residents as the river reached its peak from fast-melting snow Sunday.

Shoshone County Sheriff Chuck Reynalds said residents stranded on the north side of the river were prepared for the flood and had been told to wave a white flag or sheet if they needed help before floodwaters recede, probably by Wednesday.

He said the area was lucky that rain didn’t come along with the unseasonably hot weekend weather. “If we had rain, this would not have been a pretty place,” Reynalds said. Damage was considered minor so far, he said.

Across the county line in the Cataldo area, Kootenai County deputies closed several roads that were inundated by the floodwaters. They also had two boats available in case of an emergency. A no-wake order was in effect, and the river channel was running heavy with debris, according to Sheriff Rocky Watson.

Elsewhere, water in the Kootenai River in Boundary County continued to rise, but was below flood stage and is expected to crest short of serious flooding, officials said. A flood warning was also posted for the Moyie River at Eastport in Boundary County.

In Benewah County, the St. Joe River was high but not causing serious problems.

Sunday’s high temperature of 88 degrees in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene fell short of the 90-degree record for the date in 2006 in Spokane, but a third consecutive day of unseasonable warmth had unleashed the torrents.

Forecasters said flooding should subside early this week as daytime temperatures cool to the low 60s by Wednesday.

Reynalds said that flood-control work done along Milo and Placer creeks following flooding in 1997 had helped contain the river during the current runoff. He said a small reservoir or catch basin in Burke Canyon was being threatened by debris, and if the reservoir was breached, it could cause damage to some homes.

The National Weather Service maintained flood warnings across the North Idaho region on Sunday and was warning of flooding on the Methow, Okanogan, Wenatchee, Similkameen, Stehekin and Kettle rivers in Washington. Two vacation cabins along the Methow River were surrounded by water, a sheriff’s dispatcher said.

A flood watch remained in effect for the Spokane River in Spokane, where large numbers of people turned out to view the raging waters going over the Spokane Falls on Sunday. On Friday afternoon, the river was running at 22,000 cubic feet per second but had climbed to just above 26,000 cubic feet per second by Sunday evening.