Flood Information Town Hall Meetings
Held in Libby and Troy
by Maggie Craig
December 16, 2025
Lincoln County officials held meetings over the weekend, December 13 and 14, in Libby and Troy regarding the flooding that occurred in the county on Thursday, December 11. The meetings were held to share information about the status of the flooding, road and bridge washouts, and where people could find current information. The format of the meetings allowed not only for presentations by county officials (sheriff, health department, emergency management) but for residents to ask any questions on their mind. The bulk of Saturday’s meeting, in fact, was spent answering questions with explanations for the answers given.
Of particular concern to many at the Libby meeting was the press release issued on December 12 by Lincoln County Emergency Management that stated the Lower Flower Creek diversion dam was compromised and that flooding could affect a good many people along Flower Creek. The press release was accompanied by a map showing the affected area, which was significant.
Sheriff Darren Short spent a great deal of time trying to assure residents that there was no immediate, serious threat. He explained that the dam on Flower Creek Reservoir, where Libby’s water comes from, was intact and holding steady, due to the reconstruction of the dam in 2015. The confusion comes from the lower diversion reservoir, much smaller than the main reservoir, which is held with an earthen dike that breeched to a small degree. Sheriff Short explained that this lower reservoir holds a relatively insignificant amount of water (originally dug to hold 29 acre-feet of water but has since filled in with sediment and now holds around 14 acre-feet of water). Worst case scenario, is that even if the entire dike broke through at once (which usually doesn’t happen that way), the amount of water reaching Libby would probably amount to maybe six inches. The take-away is that as of Saturday’s meeting, there was no immediate threat. (Update as of Monday, December 15…the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is draining the lower reservoir, and a Type 3 Incident Command Team is now in charge of the flood emergency.)
City residents also wanted to know about the boil order in effect for the water supply in town. The best guess is that it would remain in effect for a week. School lunches and water for the schools were also questioned, and the reply was that water can be trucked in from McGrade School, which has a 165’ deep well that is monitored regularly, and can be used by Central School staff, which is where school lunches are made.
Well water was also questioned, and the reply was that if a well is dry around the casing, it would be fine to use the water. However, if ground water has seeped around the casing at ground level, then the water should be disinfected with chlorine. Shallow wells are a concern and have the potential for contamination.
Other information presented included the status of roads and bridges, the location of the Red Cross shelter (now at the Memorial Center) and pertinent phone numbers and Facebook pages where current information can be found.
Miscellaneous information:
•Some school bus routes will have to be adjusted. Harlow’s and the school district will keep people informed.
•The city sewer system is intact and functioning properly.
•Temporary repairs will be made to the Haul Road.
•Bottled water is being supplied by the Red Cross (and others around town).
•The county landfill will be waiving fees related to flood damaged material.
•Emergency funding has not been secured yet.
•There’s no indication that hazardous materials have been released by the flooding.
•Sandbags are currently located at Wards Road and Pioneer Park.
•Hold mail at the Post Office if needed.
•The Cabinets received up to 13" of rain and the valley 5" to cause the flooding. This amount of rainfall was neither predicted nor expected.
Resources:
•Lincoln County Health Department Facebook page, LincolnMThealth.
•Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page to register for Code Red: LincolnCountySheriffMontana. The system was hacked and has had some problems getting back online, but should work by re-registering.
•Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is located in the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall. Phone number is 406-293-6295 for information. Boyd White, Emergency Management Director.
•Report property damage to the Lincoln County Planner at lcplanning@libby.org. Jesse Haag is the county planner.
•American Red Cross emergency shelter is located at the Memorial Center. Bottled water is available here.
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