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Cascade County Search and Rescue officials were called to Dearborn about 8 p.m. to help with a swift-water river rescue.

Castle said a Homeland Security helicopter went down during the operation for unknown reasons. He didn’t know how the helipcoter landed but said there were no injuries.

Lewis and Clark County officials asked for mutual assistance searching for three people trapped on the Dearborn River.

Dispatchers with Lewis and Clark County didn’t have any further information available as of press time.

Cascade County Search and Rescue officials were responding to the Dearborn Inn exit, according to Sgt. Jeff Ripley.

“Right now we’re just trying to get everybody down there to help save some people,” he said.

The Dearborn River was one of the rivers the National Weather Service reported being above the flood stage on Sunday, prompting a flood warning for that part of Lewis and Clark County.

The river rescue was the worst of the weather-related reports around the region Sunday.

The rain hasn’t yet stopped in Northcentral Montana, but the flooding appeared to be minimal.

In Pondera County, sheriff’s deputies were monitoring Dupuyer Creek and Swift Dam. Water is expected to rise above the spillway on Swift Dam sometime today. Jones Park in Dupuyer has flooded and water is being diverted to Lake Frances to avoid further flooding, according to Leann Hermance, disaster and emergency services director for the county.

Flood warnings are still in effect for Blaine, Hill, Lewis and Clark, Teton, Pondera, Glacier, Fergus, Cascade and Judith Basin counties, according to Don Emanuel, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls.

“We still have some more showers to the north,” Emanuel said. “I think the worst of it is over.”

Between Saturday and Sunday, more than an inch of rain fell, but since this storm started on Thursday, Great Falls, at least, has garnered more than 3 inches of rain.
He reported that at certain points on the Dearborn, Two Medicine and Marias rivers, the water is above the flood stage. The same goes for Badger Creek in Glacier County as well as several other small streams across the area.

In Toole County, just south of Shelby, the Marias River had peaked over the banks and water had entered Williamson Park, according to sheriff’s deputy Loren Running.

In Chouteau County there are a few roads with standing water, dispatch reported. Drivers are encouraged to travel carefully on Upper Highwood Creek Road, Shonkin Road and Thank Creek Road.

In Great Falls, standing water on Lower River Road near the Electric City Waterpark caused the city to close off the road from the Tribune building to 1st Avenue North, according to Sgt. Michael Grubb.

After days of wet weather, starting this afternoon people should see some reprieve from rain, Emanuel said.

By this afternoon, the rain is expected to slow down, if not stop, and temperatures should reach the mid-50s.

On Tuesday, temperatures are expected to climb into the 60s and on Wednesday the high will likely be 70 degrees.

Getting all of this rain at once is preventing drought in the short term, Emanuel said. “For long-term (drought) that remains to be seen,” he said.

Night Communities Editor Ryan Hall contributed to this report. Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Cates at 791-1463 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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