Montana lawmakers support disaster assistance request

LAKE COUNTY – Lake County could receive an estimated $1 million in federal disaster funds to repair rural roads damaged by the March flooding, said Commissioner Bill Barron.

Senators Jon Tester, John Walsh and Congressman Steve Daines are asking the President to grant the State of Montana disaster assistance in response to widespread flooding.

In March, Governor Steve Bullock declared a statewide flood emergency and has recently requested disaster assistance to help mitigate the damages.

In a letter to the President, Tester, Walsh and Daines supported Bullock’s request and asked the administration to provide financial assistance for 15 Montana counties, including Lake County.

“We estimate that the amount needed to address the urgent and ongoing needs of the flooded areas will far exceed the ability of our state and local governments to pay for such damages,” the delegation wrote. “Montana families and small businesses cannot afford a long government turnaround time. They need help now.”

From January through March, much of Montana received 150 to 300 percent of normal precipitation, according to the letter. Some isolated areas received more than 300 percent of normal precipitation. Temperatures for the winter season overall averaged far below normal.

The governor declared a state of emergency March 10 activating the State Emergency Management plan.

The following 15 counties declared either an emergency or disaster: Broadwater, Golden Valley, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis & Clark, Lincoln, Musselshell, Park, Pondera, Prairie, Ravalli, Rosebud, Sanders, Stillwater, Wheatland. The following seven cities or towns declared an emergency: Boulder, Clyde Park, East Helena, Libby, Livingston, Manhattan, and Roundup, according to the governor’s letter.