UPDATE: 12:43 p.m. - June 20, 2022
KALISPELL - Additional pre-evacuation notices have been issued in Flathead County due to flooding concerns.
The Flathead County Sheriff's Office has announced that pre-evacuation notices are now in effect for all low-lying areas of the lower valley area including at the south end of River Road and low-lying areas in Evergreen.
An emergency shelter is available at Kalispell Middle School for individuals impacted by evacuation orders. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the public information at 406-758-2111.
Flathead County Sandbag Locations:
- Whitefish: Railway St & Columbia Ave
- Echo Lake Fire Station: 735 Echo Lake Road
- Applied Materials Parking Lot (Old Shopko Building): 1370 US Highway 2 East
- Columbia Falls: Flathead County Shop: 700 9th Street W. – Columbia Falls
- Somers Fire Station: 784 Somers Road
Emergency officials are advising the following:
Arrange your evacuation ahead of time. Don't wait until the last minute to plan your evacuation.
- Identify where you can go in the event of an evacuation. Try to have more than one option: the home of a friend or family member in another town, a hotel or a shelter. Keep the phone numbers and addresses of these locations handy.
- Map out your primary routes and backup routes to your evacuation destinations in case roads are blocked or impassable. Try to have a physical map of the area available in case GPS satellite transmissions are down or your devices run out of power.
- Pre-arrange a designated place to meet in case your family members are separated before or during the evacuation. Make the location-specific, for example, "meet at the big clock in the middle of town square" not "meet at the town square". Ask an out-of-town friend or family member to act as a contact person for your family.
- Put all evacuation plans in writing along with pertinent addresses and phone numbers and give them to each member of the family. Note that many home printer inks are NOT waterproof, so take appropriate precautions to ensure legibility.
- Listen to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for evacuation instructions. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
Plan what to take. Have a "go bag" ready with some of these critical items.
- Prescriptions and other medicines
- First aid kit
- Bottled water
- Flashlight, battery-powered radio and extra batteries
- Clothing and bedding (sleeping bags, pillows)
- Special equipment for infants or elderly or disabled family members
- "Comfort items," such as special toys for children
- Computer hard drive and laptop
- Cherished photographs
- Pet food and other items for pets (litter boxes, leashes)
Gather important documents Keep the following important documents in a safe place that you can easily access and take with you in the event of an evacuation. And while for most of these you'll need an original, it's a good idea to make digital copies and keep them with you on a thumb drive, as well.
- Prescriptions
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Passports
- Drivers license or personal identification
- Social Security cards
- Insurance policies — homeowners [iii.org], auto [iii.org], life [iii.org] and any others
- Recent tax returns
- Employment information
- Wills and deeds
- Stocks, bonds and other negotiable certificates
- Financial information such as bank, savings and retirement account numbers and recent tax returns
- Home inventory
(first report: 10:47 a.m. - June 20, 2022)
KALISPELL - The Flathead County Sheriff's Office has issued a pre-evacuation notice due to rising waters.
Deputies will be alerting residents from the 700 block of Wagner Lane north towards the rivers.
An emergency shelter is available at Kalispell Middle School for people who are impacted by the evacuation orders.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting the public information line at 406-758-2111.
The Sheriff's Office also notes that with Flathead Lake at full pool water is backing up in the Bigfork, Creston, Lower Valley and South Kalispell areas.
Residents are being urged to be aware of changing conditions and that there will be an increased law enforcement presence in the area.
Emergency officials are asking residents to build a 24-hour kit, including non-perishable food and water.
Follow the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for updates.
