Innovative Ways of Providing Support During the Historic Snows and Floods of 2017 Across Southern Idaho (120)

Vernon Preston, National Weather Service, Pocatello, Idaho

Travis Wyatt, National Weather Service

Alex DeSmet, National Weather Service

Jeremy Schulz, National Weather Service

 

Abstract:

The historic snowfall across southern Idaho during the winter of 2016-2017 broke records dating back to the 1920s. Numerous communities suffered from the heavy snowpack, with impacts ranging from the collapse of multiple building roofs to road departments far exceeding their annual snow removal budgets. The resultant lowland flooding broke all-time peaks at many locations, which had been previously set during the last big flooding in the early 1960s. Other locations exceeded all-time flood records dating back to the 1890s. The flood episodes had a major impact on numerous communities and livelihoods. Major damage was inflicted on agricultural land, homes, farms, and ranches. Numerous streets, county roads, and state and federal highways were flooded and destroyed. Creative collaboration and unique decision support safeguarded two area dams from failure. Our poster will highlight various techniques used during the winter and spring of 2017 to assist a host of partners, and will also address the challenges of working with new partners during such events.