Heavy precipitation leads to seventh disaster declaration

Gov. Butch Otter has now signed state disaster declarations for seven north central and northern Idaho counties currently managing flooding-related issues associated with snowmelt and ongoing precipitation.

Residents in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah and Shoshone counties are preparing for, or responding to, flooding, landslides and avalanches, according to the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

Water levels along the Coeur d’ Alene River, the St. Joe River and numerous other bodies of water within each of the counties in the state declaration, have risen dramatically, causing widespread flooding, mudslides, water over roads, damaged levees and flooding of homes and basements.

Two homes have received significant damage due to mudslides.

A total of 25 Idaho counties currently have local declarations related to either snowfall or flooding-related events, according to Emergency Management.

For a daily statewide synopsis of issues relating to this latest state declaration, please visit ioem.idaho.gov/WebFiles/SituationReports/websitrep.pdf.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Heavy precipitation leads to seventh disaster declaration."