Officials relieved as flooding outlook improves along Yellowstone, Clarks Fork rivers

By Mike Kordenbrock
29 May 2018
(Billings Gazette) – River levels on the Yellowstone and Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone are trending away from flood stage, Tuesday forecasts showed.That news has left top disaster and emergency officials in Carbon and Yellowstone County optimistic.”It seems like we got away with not too much damage,” said Brad Shoemaker, Yellowstone County emergency services director after a flyover of the county Tuesday.”What I would tell everyone is if you got sandbags and you did preparations, I would keep them until the historical end of runoff, which is usually mid June,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with being extra prepared through the end of this. Don’t go disassembling everything yet, but it looks like we’re doing pretty well.”A flood warning continued Tuesday for the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone near both Belfry and Edgar where the river remained at minor flood stage. The emergency operations center that activated Friday in Carbon County for potentially historic Clarks Fork flooding remained active Tuesday but would not continue meeting unless the forecast or river levels change, said Carbon County disaster and emergency services coordinator Tom Kohley.”The situation overall is much improved,” but, “A large rain event could have a pretty significant effect on this,” Kohley said. [more]