June 5, 2023 |
Photo – North Platte River – Bigfoot99 file photo
Cooler temperatures over the weekend reduced the threat of additional flooding across the county over the weekend despite the forecast for rain.
Relief was sensed on Friday during the bi-weekly phone call between the Carbon County Office of Emergency Management and the county’s flood vulnerable towns. National Weather Service Senior Hydrologist Tony Anderson said even considering the increased precipitation from last week, his data didn’t show any forecasted or observed flooding. Anderson said the threat of flooding on the Little Snake and North Platte Rivers were remaining stable or diminishing.
Anderson said the water level will continue to fluctuate as snow melts quickly during the day and slows down at night.
Typically, our areas sees the highest river water levels during the second and third weeks of June. Anderson said both the Little Snake and North Platte Rivers appear to have peaked last week.
Anderson said this week will start off drier than last week.
Anderson said the rain could accelerate snowmelt in higher elevations, but won’t have a significant effect on river levels. However, the National Weather Service Hydrologist said an unusually large rainstorm could alter his predictions.
Anderson said his forecast models for the Little Snake River show the water level decreasing. He said the river should continue to decline, unless something unexpected happened.
Looking at conditions on the North Platte River, Anderson said the Town of Sinclair was out of danger. The National Weather Service Hydrologist said he predicts the North Platte River at Saratoga remained steady.
Saratoga’s emergency manager Sergeant Tyler Christen agreed with the National Weather Service forecast. Sgt. Christen said the river might rise a bit from the rain in the Snowy Range, but he didn’t think it would flood.
Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman said the positive forecast has him thinking about ending the bi-weekly phone calls. Layman said he’ll still do at least two more calls, but he is looking at demobilizing the county’s flood response operation.
Layman said the towns would decide what their demobilization processes would look like. He said temporary barriers and dams could be disassembled. The emergency manager said the county will determine the best use for the remaining sandbags.
In anticipation of flooding, Layman and the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security brought sand and bags to the Wyoming State Penitentiary. Inmates filled the sandbags and they were distributed to Carbon County’s flood prone towns. Layman said he’ll see what the Office of Homeland Security wants to do with the remaining sandbags. He said the bags could be used in other areas of the state.
According to the National Weather Service, it appears the flood threat may be behind us. Layman and the other Carbon County flood coordinators may begin to stand down their flood preparations as early as next week.
