Montana floods could be worst since 1981

May 9 (UPI) — Forecasters say major flooding should continue in Montana through the weekend, in what could be the region’s worst in nearly 40 years.

Rivers and streams in the state have risen above their banks — as well as waterways in other areas of the Pacific Northwest, like eastern Washington — due to heavy rain that’s been worsened with snow melt.

Officials said severe flooding hit Missoula — a western Montana town with a population of 70,000 along the Clark Fork River– particularly hard.

The sheriff’s office ordered mandatory evacuations for dozens of homes in the area.

Mel Holtz, of the South West Incident Management Team, told The Missoulian Tuesday as many as 2,000 homes were at risk of flooding.

Parts of Montana and surrounding areas could see several inches of rain over the next few days.

Forecasters said the flooding could end up being the region’s worst since 1981.