Cascade County Disaster & Emergency Services

05/31/2026

🔺WEEKEND RAINFALL EVENT UPDATES (5/30/2026 @ 10:21pm):

Sun River near Simms is measuring just under 6 feet as of 8:45pm on 5/30/2026 (5.99ft). This means the river is just below bank breach.

Ulm Vaughn Fishing Access: Water levels are approximately 2 feet before water crests at lowest point, approximately 5 feet at highest point at this access.

Largent Bend Fishing Access: Water levels are approximately 2 feet before water crests at lowest point, approximately 4 feet at highest point at this access.

Medicine River Fishing Access, Sun River: Water has already crested onto road. There are nearby houses, approximately 1.5 feet before water crests onto the residential areas.

What does this mean?

The water level, or stage of the river, are near or over the top of its banks in several areas.

Please be advised of flooding potential in low lying areas! Take proper precautions to protect property and livestock, and remember to avoid flooded roadways or standing water.

More flood preparedness information can be found on FEMA’s website, here: https://water.noaa.gov/ #@=-111.838862,47.5121195,9.3683586&b=topographic&g=obsFcst,1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!0!0!0!0!0,0.5,1!1!1!1!0,0,0,true&ab=0,0, ,1,1,1, ,1,0,0, ,1,0,0, ,1,false&a=hydrologic,0.35,false&s=0,0,0.9,0.9,false&n=false, ,0.9,0,0.9,0,0.9,false&p=false,0.75,0,7,0,1,2026,5,30,0,false&d=0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1, ,1, ,1, ,false&q=

River Gauge Data:
https://water.noaa.gov/ #@=-111.838862,47.5121195,9.3683586&b=topographic&g=obsFcst,1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!0!0!0!0!0,0.5,1!1!1!1!0,0,0,true&ab=0,0, ,1,1,1, ,1,0,0, ,1,0,0, ,1,false&a=hydrologic,0.35,false&s=0,0,0.9,0.9,false&n=false, ,0.9,0,0.9,0,0.9,false&p=false,0.75,0,7,0,1,2026,5,30,0,false&d=0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1, ,1, ,1, ,false&q=

05/31/2026

Report observed flooding conditions to NWS- your contribution helps response agencies understand what’s happening on the ground, yielding efficient, safe and well informed response. 💪🏼

Have you observed any flooding so far? If so, please let us know!

Be sure to let us know when and where you observed flooding and any additional details including damage, river/creek conditions, road closures, etc.

05/29/2026

ATTENTION CASCADE COUNTY:

Precipitation forecasts for our area are predicting a multi-day rainfall event!

What: Widespread heavy rainfall Saturday into Monday.

Where: Mostly the western portion of North Central MT, especially Cascade County. Areas along the Sun River- especially Simms, all have a history of roadway and agricultural field flooding- this area could see impact if the Sun River were to rise out of its banks.

Timing: The heavier rainfall will begin on Saturday and then
diminish on Monday. Rainfall rates of around 0.50 to 0.75 are
possible every 6 hours over a 36-hour period.

Relevant factors: Overall, total precipitation amounts for most
areas will range from 1 to 2 inches.

In terms of flooding, given the recent dryness, most of the area
will be handle the first few inches of rainfall. However, areas that
receive 3 or more inches of rainfall could start to have impacts.
Additionally, there is still a minor snowpack left in the mountains
that could add to runoff concerns as the remaining snow washes out.

Everyone is reminded that should flooding develop, regardless of if the roadway is paved or not, do NOT drive through any flood waters! Now is the time to assess your risk if you live near, own property, or recreate near waterways.

Please monitor the National Weather Service or the local media this
weekend for further updates on this spring storm- conditions change quickly!

You can access the current river level data here: https://water.noaa.gov/ #@=-111.9613157,47.4956382,9.9774722&b=topographic&g=obsFcst,1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!0!0!0!0!0,0.5,1!1!1!1!0,0,0,true&ab=0,0, ,1,1,1, ,1,0,0, ,1,0,0, ,1,false&a=hydrologic,0.35,false&s=0,0,0.9,0.9,false&n=false, ,0.9,0,0.9,0,0.9,false&p=false,0.75,0,7,0,1,2026,5,29,0,false&d=0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1, ,1, ,1, ,false&q=

05/28/2026

‼️‼️BE ADVISED‼️‼️

Heavy rainfall is predicted for Central Montana for this weekend! Stay informed, be aware and make smart decisions if you are planning to be out this weekend.

Confidence in a multi-day rainfall event, with even higher elevation snow, continues to grow across much of Southwest, Central, and North Central Montana; especially along the north slopes of the Central Montana Island Ranges and eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front. If you have outdoor plans be prepared for wet and raw conditions. Continue to monitor future forecasts as precipitation amounts and timing will adjust as additional data is collected.

05/28/2026

Wildfire prevention tips from Smokey Bear! 🔥🔥

Bonus tip: As camping season ramps up, also remember to secure camper and trailer chains to avoid dragging on the ground and sparking! ⚡️

Honorable mention: Don't flick hot cigarette butts into dry grass! 🤚🏻

If you’re looking to join the pack of responsible campers, here’s your starter kit. It’s got the essentials I look for before we get a campfire rolling. 🐻

05/22/2026

URGENT ALERT: CITY OF BELT, MT

UPDATE: DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) Advised to lift the Boil Advisory as 3:00p 5/22/2026

Boil Advisory issued for Belt, MT HAS BEEN LIFTED.

REPEAT, THE BOIL WATER ADVISORY HAS BEEN LIFTED.

———————————————————————————
From Town of Belt MT Public Works:

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let boil for 1 minute, then let cool completely before use. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, cooking, making ice, washing hands, brushing teeth, food preparation or washing dishes, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

“E. coli bacteria were found in the water supply on May 18, 2026. Additional samples collected May 20, 2026, confirmed the presence of total coliform bacteria. These bacteria can make you sick and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems. We are now conducting additional sampling to determine the extent of the problem and are conducting thorough investigation to determine the source of contamination. We will also be chlorinating and disinfecting the distribution system.”

05/21/2026

‼️‼️ATTN: 911 is still operable despite the AT&T outage.‼️‼️

Please only utilize 911 for emergencies!

UPDATE 5/22/26 10:45AM - Sometime early this morning, the regular non-emergency dispatch line and most City office lines started working again, along with several AT&T subscribers' phones. Please resume using 406-455-8599 for non-emergencies and thanks for your patience.

ORIGINAL POST 5/21/26 10:13AM - Several City offices are currently experiencing a phone and internet outage, including Non-Emergency Dispatch. The outage is also affecting AT&T's cell phone network.

Until lines are repaired, please use 406-454-6979 for non-emergency needs.

FOR EMERGENCIES - 911 IS STILL WORKING and your mobile phones (even AT&T phones) should still work to call 911.

We will update this post when everything is up and running properly again.

05/13/2026

‼‼ ATTN: [Wednesday 5/13/26] Due to increased fire weather and high winds throughout Central Montanna, open burning is CLOSED in Cascade County through Thursday, May 14th.

▶️Avoid any activity that could spark a fire, as any fires that do start- could spread rapidly!
▶️ Report any observed smoke.
▶️ Stay up to date on weather outlooks for our area, and plan accordingly.

https://www.weather.gov/tfx/

05/12/2026

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Join us on June 27th, from 9a-5p at the University of Providence and get a first hand look at just how prepared YOUR community is, for any disaster or emergency! 🔥🌊⚡️