National Weather Service Says To Be Prepared!

The beautiful and abundant snowfall that farmers, ranchers, and gardeners have been praying for has definitely made its appearance in Phillips County.

With this, also came a call from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Glasgow contacting the DES (Disaster Emergency Services), media, and county commissioners to advise them of possible flooding. The warning is for possible flooding from Malta to the Canadian border.

According to Pat Gilcrest of the NWS, the flooding is expected within the next week to 10 days, with runoff coming down from Saskatchewan, Canada. Of course, this is all based on the predicted warm weather that will bring forth rapid melting and runoff causing the overflow of creek beds, coulees, streams, and river banks.

While some may be leery and skeptical, the NWS and DES coordinator advises those living along the Milk River and north of Hwy 2 to be prepared!

As reported in last week's issue of the PCN, areas from Chinook to Saco received exorbitant amounts of snow, measuring up to 72 inches in some places.

Get your livestock, hay, equipment, and vehicles to HIGH GROUND. It is better to prepare and not have it happen than to try to stay afloat when the water is rushing around you.

The NWS and DES strongly urge you to prepare as if flooding will occur. Common sense items include having your medications packed up, preferably in waterproof containers. Prepare food to take with you, and try to avoid food that will spoil easily. If you pack canned goods that need opening, pack a can opener. Prepare as though you are going camping, and the trip might get rustic.

Gather flashlights and fresh batteries (in waterproof packing), drinkable water, and water to use for cleaning and hygiene. Take a battery-operated radio and know where to find service.

Be prepared with first aid kit supplies and gloves. Pack a rope, tow rope, or chain. It may not be you that needs it; you may come across someone who does. Pack blankets and warm clothing in large garbage bags to keep them dry.

If by chance you have a camp stove, make sure you have a fresh container of kerosene or gas; the matches you have sealed in waterproof containers will come in handy.

If you have a cell phone, pack the home charger as well as the car charger. You may need it if you are staying somewhere that is high and dry.

By chance, if the pending flood looks like it will affect your home, be sure to pack documents that are hard to replace. Have a list of phone numbers of insurance companies. Document the contents of your house, take pictures, and get them to high ground.

Foremost – make a list of your needed phone numbers. Unfortunately, too many of us rely on our cell phones and just "dial" a number and if asked to give someone a number, we are at wit's end to recall it from memory. At a point, your cell phone may die as well.

Let your family know of your pending evacuation or flood situation, preferably have one family member be the Point Of Contact (POC) that all other families can contact to be assured of your safety.

Use the emergency numbers cautiously and carefully. It is a good possibility the NWS and sheriff's office will be on overload with questions and dealing with other issues that need to be dealt with. If you need assistance, call Leann Pankratz (Phillips County DES) at 406-399-0259; place the number in your contacts to have it available.