Missoula County: What You Need to Know After the Severe Storm

Missoula County is sharing vital information after yesterday's severe thunderstorm to keep the public safe. All information below has been shared via press release by Allison Franz, Communication Manager with Missoula County.

9-1-1

We are hearing misinformation that 9-1-1 Center was down last night; this is not true. It did exceed capacity at times, with the overflow going to Flathead County (this is by design to accommodate high call volumes).

9-1-1 is still experiencing high call volume. People should only call 9-1-1 in the case of a true emergency, not to report power outages, downed trees, etc. City residents can report downed trees by calling 552-6253 or go to the Form Center on City website. County Public Works staff are in the field assessing and addressing damage in the public right-of-way.

Do Not Go in Streams or Rivers

County and city officials are receiving reports of downed powerlines in area streams and rivers that could be energizing the water.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has closed portions of the Bitterroot and Clark Fork rivers due to safety concerns resulting from power lines that are in the water after Wednesday’s severe storm.

The Clark Fork River is closed from Milltown State Park, just east of Missoula, to Kona Bridge Fishing Access Site (FAS), just west of town. The Bitterroot River is closed from Chief Looking Glass FAS near Florence to the confluence with the Clark Fork River near Missoula.

Other Key Information:

With many people without power and power lines still down, please check on your neighbors to make sure they're OK, especially if they're elderly. 9-1-1 is busy taking many calls, and if you're able to help your neighbors, this can relieve the pressure off our emergency communications and dispatchers.
The Red Cross is staffing the Elections Center, 140 N. Russell St., for residents who need to charge essential personal devices. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to provide electricity, air conditioning, a shower (bring towels) for people who otherwise don't have these services. No medical services will be available.
Please conserve water. With power still out in many areas, the City and County are still using back-up generators to move water around.
Many traffic signals in the Missoula area are still not functioning. Remember: treat these intersections as four-way stops, slow down, be patient and watch for emergency traffic. If you don't have to drive today, don't!
Power is still out for muchof the area; the utilities that service the area are working to restore it. Do not touch downed power lines.
County and City Public Works departments are working to clear debris from public streets/roads and other public rights-of-way. Do not call 9-1-1 to report trees blocking the right-of-way.
- City residents can call 552-6253 or go to the Form Center on City website.
County and City staff are working to set up locations for residents to drop off debris from their properties. We will provide more information when available.
Some City and County offices are closed or providing services remotely. People needing to access services should call the specific department before going in.
- County phone directory: https://www.missoulacounty.us/directory/telephone-directory or call 406-721-5700.
- City phone directory: Visit 'contact us' section on bottom or City website or call 406-552-6000
- As of right now, the following County offices are closed: Elections, Human Resources, Auditor, Clerk of District Court (District Court itself is open for hearings, and people should attend scheduled court hearings).
- Closed City offices: Municipal Court (except for jail court).
All County public meetings are fully remote today. Information on how to join remotely, including how to call in, is available online at missoula.co/bccmeetings