While it has been relatively dry in Montana over the past couple of weeks, other parts of the United States have dealt with catastrophic flooding.
The floods have resulted in the deaths of over 120 people in Texas, in addition to 6 in North Carolina and 3 in New Mexico. Illinois and Oklahoma have also experienced significant events.
In Texas, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry sat over the hill country for days, resulting in an over 20-foot surge of water down the Guadalupe River in some spots. The Texas Hill Country has unique geography that can amplify flooding effects, like most clay soils and the hills funneling water downward.
North Carolina was also hit by a post-tropical system, Chantal. It dumped almost a foot of rain in less than a day in the central piedmont region. Chapel Hill was hit especially hard, with water rescues. A separate weather system came through the day after, amplifying the flooding. Some parts of the state even had a drinking-water shortage due to damaged water treatment facilities.
New Mexico dealt with a totally different weather phenomenon, monsoonal thunderstorms. 3 to 4 inches of rain fell on burn scars from previous wildfires, which increased surface runoff.
A very slow-moving cold front dumped rain around 2 inches per hour in Chicago. A concrete jungle like the Windy City is a recipe for disaster when it comes to flash flooding.
Even in eastern Oklahoma, thunderstorms produced around 7 inches of rain in isolated spots, which prompted evacuations of a Boys and Girls Club.
Flash flooding can occur anywhere in the country, even here in Montana. We can draw comparisons to the Yellowstone flooding back in June of 2022. This is why it's important to heed flood warnings if they are issued. Seek higher ground and evacuate the area if necessary.
