A flash flood hit Lewis and Clark County Sunday afternoon, drenching the ground with hail and sending a small river of rainwater up wheel wells and tumbling into business doors through Helena’s Last Chance Gulch. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for the county until 9:15 p.m. Sunday. “Up to 1 inch of rain has fallen,” the NWS said. “Flash floods have already occurred.” Matt Ludwig, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said they were aware of the possibility of strong storms, but thought they would hit south of Helena. He said it appears to be a supercell storm that crossed the Continental Divide. Significant flooding in Eleni this afternoon. Video by Andy Shirtliff #mtwx pic.twitter.com/3E958RBbgi — Ryan Dennis (@RyanDennisWX) July 4, 2022 “This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation,” forecasters said. Places that saw flash flooding include Helena, East Helena and Spring Meadow Lake State Park. Posts on social media showed a small river flowing into Last Chance Gulch and floodwaters battering the doors of businesses.
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Ludwig said there were also reports of flooding along Winnie Avenue. Weather service officials warned that the heavy rainfall will affect streams, rivulets, urban areas and underpasses. Epic shot from Eastern Hellene. The storm brought pea-sized hail and wind gusts of 70 mph to the town of Helena. #MTwx 📸: Stephanie Witham pic.twitter.com/1KB643n8Ym — Erik Johnson (@erik_wx) July 4, 2022 Helena Fire Chief Jon Campbell said he had heard through his team that the 911 center had received so many calls that the volume, along with the weather, had taken a toll on the system. He said there were dozens of calls of trees down and pending social and other calls. He said many people were able to resolve the issues on their own. He said there was a report of people trapped on Mount Helena but managed to get off the mountain before rescuers arrived. Campbell said there were also several reports of flooding among residents and businesses downtown. Ludwig said the storm has moved into northern Meagher County. Sheriff Leo Dutton said he had heard some reports of flooding in Helena, but none in the county outside the city. Hail falls on a Helena area porch late Sunday afternoon. Sheriff Leo Dutton The weather service urged people to use caution when driving and dealing with flooded roads. “Turn around, don’t drown… Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” they said. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
