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Flooding Continues to Wreak Havoc
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Saturday, June 3, 2017
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

It was a curious sight.

Rising flood waters on Cedar Street surrounded a five-foot pile of sandbags, seemingly a monument to sandbagging.

And the spreading floodwaters lapped at the foundation of the home that those sandbags had protected just a few days before.

“This part of the street was dry a couple days ago,” said Anne Jeffery, public information officer for the city of Hailey. “We told the homeowner that more flooding was to come, but he said he had it all figured out based on the flood gauge. Problem is, the river has changed so much that we’re seeing more  flooding in neighborhoods than we saw with the same river levels in the past. He decided to dismantle his sandbags, anyway.”

The Big One—an 8-foot river surge that had been predicted for Hailey on Friday—didn’t happen as a cold front came in earlier than expected and heavy rains never materialized over Ketchum and the surrounding mountains.

The Big Wood River rushing through Hailey reached 7.44 feet on Thursday—nearly 1.5 feet above flood stage but not enough to be considered “major flooding.”

The river is expected to go up and down over the next few days—“like a ping pong ball”--in the words of Hailey Fire Chief Craig Aberbach. And forecasters with the National Weather Service project it could still reach 7.85 feet on Tuesday, just slightly over the 7.82-foot high peak on May 8.

“We dodged a bullet with the peak forecast for Friday,” said Carol Brown, public information officer for the City of Hailey. “But another bullet’s coming Tuesday. I’m kind of glad we didn’t hit the peak today. But that means the whole thing will be prolonged that much longer.”

The good news, Jeffery said, is that the next peak is expected to be followed by a decline in water levels—and a pretty rapid decline at that since there’s less and less snow to melt in the mountains.

“We’re still reluctant to say that Tuesday will be the last peak because it can change, but we’re hopeful,” said Brown.

Even though the river height went on a roller coaster ride Friday, the level of floodwater in the Della View subdivision of Hailey continued to rise, with flood waters stretching nearly as far east as Silver Star Drive.

Aberbach drove a few hundred feet into the flooded area checking for safety issues. He pulled out his cell phone to show pictures he’d taken of a fire hydrant to show the fluctuations in flood waters over four days.

Because of the lag time between the time the river peaks and the time the flood waters rise in Della View, police and firefighters have found it best to check on things in person, he said.

“We’re finding inconsistencies based on what the waters should be doing according to the flood gauge,” he said. “So, we keep monitoring it to get a sense of what’s really happening.”

Currents swept around the corners of homes along Cedar Street and Della Vista Drive Friday, pouring out onto a street where mailboxes stood a foot above knee-deep water. Tool benches tied with yellow “Caution” tape marked the edges of a driveway that was underwater.

While the streets were officially closed, emergency vehicles and Intermountain Gas trucks plied up and down roads. An Intermountain Gas employee backed into one driveway and had trouble getting out as the back of his truck got caught under the water.

Strong currents rushing through Heagle Park have taken large boulders that marked the edge of the park  downstream.

The asphalt has broken away along the edge of the road, creating a foot high pour over, while the river current has taken out part of the road that once led to the old sewer treatment site.

Water stands thigh high in parts of Draper Preserve, covering foot bridges that were dry a week ago. The Wood River Land Trust strategically felled some trees there to slow the speed of water towards the Della View neighborhood, and it seems to be helping, said Jeffery.

Jeffery picked her way through the water cautiously.

“Just six inches of water can knock over and adult,” she said. “The river is pushing water into the Preserve and neighborhoods. And the ground water’s so high it has no place to go.”

The U.S. Geological Survey repaired a line providing hydro data after Brown discovered it was not lining up with NOAA’s.

“They were out here instantly. They know how important getting accurate information is for us right now,” she said. “One tip that they gave us is that when we see the river go up and down in a very short period that means bedload, or large gravel, is moving through the river.”

Further north in Ketchum, a couple inches of water began covering Wood River Drive again. But it was clear, rather than muddy brown like the water in Hailey.

Ketchum Police Chief Dave Kassner urged motorists to drive slowly through the street to avoid creating disturbance that would have impacted homes.

“It’s a no wake zone,” he said.

The SNRA’s Ed Cannady said the Forest Service has applied for disaster relief funds to help repair the road-like Harriman Trail, which has been completely washed away in a few places just north of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters.

Officials are concerned that part of the highway could be impacted, as well, he said.

Meanwhile, floodwaters from the Upper Salmon River have spilled across Highway 21 in a couple places, including an area near Basin Creek Campground.

Stanley Creek Road has been closed four miles east of Highway 21 following a washout. And the Fisher Creek Road has been completely washed out, making the road impassible to vehicles with three or more tires. The Robinson Bar Road has been closed because of a mudslide.

Chris Leman, trail director for the Blaine County Recreation District, waned that some trail foot bridges in the Ketchum area are out as the Big Wood River and its tributaries continue to rage. Hikers and bikers should turn back if they come to flood stage waters, he said.

“Do not enter swollen creeks. A creek may seem approachable at first. But, upon entering, you will often find the more central channel to be very deep and dangerous with powerful flows,” he said.

Sun Valley crews have completed repairing a section of the Proctor Mountain Loop where snowmelt caused heavy rutting. And they’re cutting out hundreds of trees that fell across Bald Mountain trails over a winter that dumped 337 inches of snow—more than a hundred inches above average.

Scott Runkel, a teacher with the Community School, noted that he sometimes forgets that the flooding is ongoing since his Hailey home is well removed from the river. But the flooding has displaced people and disrupted schedules for five weeks, fraying nerves ad leaving homeowners exhausted.

“What amazes me is how long, just how long this has gone on,” said Jeffery.

Al and Brenda Hackel said they have been out of their home for four weeks because their electricity has been turned off.

“It’s frustrating,” said Brenda. “Half of our house is dry; the other part wet, but we can’t get electricity.”

“All my staff has been here 24/7 throughout and we’re all exhausted,” said Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter.

The City of Hailey is putting together a Community Meeting concerning the flood at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Community Campus.

Featured speakers will include Vern Preston, forecaster with the National Weather Service, arborist Jen Smith and a building inspector who can things like what to do when your foundation or floor has been wet for three weeks.

Scott Boettger of the Wood River Land Trust and Stephanie Cook of the City of Hailey will also give  preview the community discussion they plan to have in July concerning the Hailey Greenway Master Plan,which addresses health and restoration issues on the Big Wood River.

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