Western Montana’s recent hot, dry late-summer weather will soon be replaced with a few days of scattered heavy rainfall and slow-moving thunderstorms
According to the National Weather Service in Missoula, the storms will initially meander into the southern Bitterroot Valley, then spread north Wednesday and Thursday.
The storms could produce rainfall rates of over a-half inch an hour. This increases the risk of flash flooding. A flood watch is in effect Wednesday for the Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains and Missoula/Bitterroot valleys.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, people most at risk of flooding should be prepared to move to higher ground at a moment’s notice. Never try to walk, swim or drive through floodwaters. Six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet. Two feet of water can wash away a car.
People in flood zones should also prepare an emergency kit in case a quick evacuation is required. That kit should include essential items like medications, water, nonperishable food and batteries.
