Moffat County officials prepare for potential flooding in Craig; sandbags available Thursday and Friday
Moffat County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo
With rain and snow in the forecast for Friday, April 14, officials across Craig and Moffat County are trying to get ahead of any potential flooding issues.
Heavy runoff caused flooding across Hayden on Thursday, April 13, and the Colorado Department of Transportation closed U.S. Highway 40 from west of Steamboat to Craig throughout the morning Thursday.
Also on Thursday, local elected officials met with representatives from the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Craig Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the county’s and city’s road and bridge departments to discuss possible flooding issues in Moffat County.
According to a joint news release from the city and county, Thursday’s discussion helped prioritize areas of concern, as local officials are trying to be proactive should flooding evolve in Moffat County. Roads in Moffat are already being impacted by flooding, but it hasn’t yet led to any full road closures.
Still, the primary areas of concern are the low-lying areas near Fortification Creek in Craig. This includes 17th Street on the north, east to Lincoln Street, west to Rose Street and south to First Street.
Fortification Creek has not escaped its banks in the area of concern, but with the weather and rain and snow in the forecast for Friday, government officials are taking precautionary measures, as the warm temps and chance for precipitation have increased the possibility of flooding.
The good news might be that colder temps should arrive after midnight Thursday and are forecasted to continue throughout the weekend.
As part of the preparation effort, the city’s and county’s road and bridge crews have started building sand berms in the 500 and 600 blocks of Lincoln Street. Crews have also begun filling sandbags.
According to the news release, sandbags will be available at the Craig Road and Bridge shop at 1710 N. Yampa Ave., and residents in the immediate area of concern are welcome to pick them up until 6 p.m. Thursday or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.
Residents outside the area of concern are also allowed to pick up sandbags in limited numbers if the need arises. People may call Craig Road and Bridge at 970-824-4463 to make arrangements to get sandbags.
County and city officials are also asking people to sign up for MoffatAlerts emergency notifications online.
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