CLARK FORK, Idaho — Flooding in Clark Fork, Idaho has damaged the city’s water system and threatened over 100 homes as the Pacific Northwest deals with record flooding.
In the last few days, more than 100 people were rescued. Washington and parts of North Idaho remain under a state of emergency.
Over 100 homes near Lightning Creek and Spring Creek in Clark Fork were threatened by rising floodwaters. Floodwaters washed away roads and cut off access to the town near the Montana border.
Michael Williams lives on Mountain View Road and saw water rushing on both sides of his home.
“There was a lot of debris that came down, a lot of debris, a lot of neighbors trash and toys. But there was a lot of debris that came down,” Williams said.
Williams says his driveway and part of his shop will need repairs after both were damaged by the floods. He worries about neighbors who live closer to the creeks.
Clark Fork’s water supply was damaged by the flooding. The city tells residents to assume their water has been contaminated with E. coli. They must boil their water until further notice.
“We can’t get in there to fix any damages to our water system until we get access to the site. Then we don’t know, it could be several weeks or more before we even get to get our water back online. That’s why we brought in the portable water tanks,” said Mayor Russ Schenk.
Roads just north of Clark Fork were also damaged. The Army Corps of Engineers has been called in to help fix them as soon as possible. A Bonner County commissioner says the Army Corps worked through the night to prevent even more damage.
The flooding created new channels in the creeks just north of Clark Fork. It also knocked down hundreds of trees that continue to wash into the creeks.
Bob Howard, director of Bonner County Emergency Management, says water levels are dropping.
“The water was up about four feet yesterday, higher than it is now. In some places I believe it got pretty high so if it stays where it is now, it’s not too bad,” Howard said.
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