Flood Plain officials and Building Inspectors from the Missoula County Planning office teamed up on Tuesday to evaluate homes that have been evacuated since May 9, and the results have been released.

Director of Missoula County’s Office of Emergency Services, Adriane Beck said that the homes were judged using a placard system.

“They did exterior inspections only and utilizing a placarding system as far as a green, yellow or red tagging those structures from primarily a safety standpoint,” said Beck. “They visited approximately 30 homes yesterday, with about a third of those receiving a yellow tag, there were no homes that received a red tag and so about 20 did receive that green tag meaning it was safe for homeowners to go in and begin that recovery process and contact utilities to get them back home,” said Beck. “We’re now in the process of modifying the evacuation orders consistent with what the building officials determined yesterday and that will be going out very shortly. Every intention is to let those folks go back in and reoccupy those homes.”

Beck said the county’s costs in flood response have been rising.

“We’re continuing to evaluate that,” she said. “We believe we’re at right about that $300,000 mark in emergency work, as well as some additional costs that occurred to county roads. We have some significant damage that occurred down on Harper’s Bridge Road, as well as some of the outlying areas with creeks that undercut some roads, as well.”

Residents have been out of their homes since May 9.

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