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PHOTOS: Flood washes out roads and bridges across Northwest Montana
PHOTOS: Flood washes out roads and bridges across Northwest Montana
PHOTOS: Flood washes out roads and bridges across Northwest Montana

Published on: 12/15/2025

Description

An historic atmospheric river pummeled Northwest Montana and North Idaho last week as flooding washed out numerous bridges and roads across the region.

The Cabinet Mountains received more than a foot of water equivalent over six days. The weather station at Poorman Creek south of Libby reported 5 inches of precipitation on Dec. 11 alone.

“Which is incredible,” commented National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Noble. The 24-hour total is the third most all-time for the location.

The historic weather system started as snow and transitioned to heavy rain earlier in the week, a recipe for flooding.

  1216_loc_twn_Libby_Creek_walking_path_da  A section of the Libby Creek walking path near Fifth Street Extension in Libby was washed out following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1212_loc_twn_Farm_to_Market_Road_bridge_  The bridge over Farm to Market Road south of Libby washed out early Thursday morning, Dec. 11, 2025, after days of rain and warm temperatures caused extensive flooding in south Lincoln County. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1212_loc_twn_Lake_Creek_flooding_2_1.jpg  A property on Chase Cutoff was experiencing flooding from Lake Creek Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, after days of rain and warm temperatures in south Lincoln County. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1212_loc_twn_Cherry_Creek_sandbagging_2_  Volunteers place sandbags where Cherry Creek flooded south of Libby Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  ALQ_9905.JPG.2248x1500_q85_box-0%2C0%2C4  The river was inching very close to the Exit 33 off-ramp at St. Regis last week. The St. Regis River recorded higher flow rates three times higher flow rates than average spring runoff levels following a week's worth of December rainfall. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
 
 

  ALQ_9898.JPG.2248x1500_q85_box-0%2C0%2C4  Workers removed a large pileup of trees and rootwods on December 11, which were washed downstream along the St. Regis River after several inches of rain. (Mineral Independent/Amy Quinlivan)
 
 

  IMG_2773_t1170.jpg.585x366_q85_box-0%2C0  This section of Prichard Creek Road has much of its base layer washed out due to fast-moving floodwater crashing against it. (Josh McDonald/Shoshone Press)
 
 

  Prospect_Creek_Bridge_Hwy_471_Thompson_P  Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
 
 

  Damaged_Garage_on_Eagle_View_Lane.jpg.20  A rock and mudslide damaged a garage on Eagle View Lane in Sanders County on Dec. 11, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
 
 

  Prospect_Creek_Bridge_Hwy_471_Thompson_P  Floodwaters hit the Prospect Creek Bridge in Sanders County on Dec. 12, 2025. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
 
 

  thumbnail_Road_Closed_Sign_on_Hwy_471_ov  Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
 
 

  thumbnail_Prospect_Creek_Bridge_Hwy_471_  Highway 471 near Prospect Creek was closed Dec. 12, 2025 due to flooding. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
 
 

  1216_loc_twn_St._Regis_Road_damage.JPG.2  The St. Regis Road in Troy was damaged along Callahan Creek following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1216_loc_twn_Lake_Creek_riprap_work.JPG.  A Thompson Contracting employee moves riprap onto a stream bank on Lake Creek on the Chase Cutoff outside of Troy following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1216_loc_twn_Cherry_Creek_bridge_destroy  The Big Cherry Creek bridge on Granite Creek Road near Libby was one of the casualties following a massive flood that affected south Lincoln County Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1213_loc_twn_DTSAR_water_distribution.JP  Members of David Thompson Search and Rescue hand out bottled water to residents in need Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at the Memorial Center in Libby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

  1214_loc_dil_Libby_Creek_Bridge_Farm_to_  Flood waters had receded substantially on Libby Creek by the morning of Friday, Dec. 12, but the damage was already done Thursday when heavy rain caused the failure of the bridge on Farm to Market Road south of Libby. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
 
 

News Source : https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2025/dec/15/photos-flood-washes-out-roads-and-bridges-across-northwest-montana/

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