Pocatello has a plan for flooding

Warmer weather means no more snow and ice. But melting snow means more water and possible flooding.

Pocatello city officials said so far they haven’t had any major problems, but they’ve been planning for flood season since last April.

“With respect to flooding, it’s all about preparation,” said Michael Jaglowski, director of public works.

As winter starts to melt away, it leaves a running potential for floods. City leaders said they’re doing everything they can to prepare and get ahead of the floods.

“We spend a lot of time coordinating with the National Weather Service out at the airport and understanding the different weather patterns coming in so we’re able to predict different events before they occur,” said Jaglowski. “And we staff up and have equipment, people, and machinery available to alleviate any of that so there isn’t any flooding in the area.”

Part of the city’s planning is research from previous years. It has developed a detailed map of the city.

The map is color-coded and divided into four parts. Each area shows which type of problem is more likely, such as mudslides or heavy water retention. It also shows what type of equipment would be needed to deal with those problems. Each area also comes with a response plan.

The city said the most high-risk areas would be Old Town and along Old Yellowstone Highway 91 because the drains and water system in those areas are older. But flooding can still happen anywhere.

Even regular puddles around the city could potentially become a problem when they start covering drains, leaving nowhere for the water to go. But there are a few things residents can do to help with blocked drains.

“We have a program for the city called ‘Adopt-a-Drain’ where we encourage citizens to go out and clean the debris off the drains,” said Tom Kirkham, street operations supervisor for the city. “It’s as simple as taking a rake or a broom and cleaning it off.”

The city also has another suggestion for homeowners to be prepared.

“Currently we have sandbags and sand out at the street department where individuals can go out and fill sandbags to protect their own homes,” said Jaglowski.

So far the city has only had minor problems, such as residual snow from cleanup efforts blocking city drains. Officials said the city was able to get those cleaned up quickly.

They also said the river isn’t a concern for flooding right now because the water levels are still so low. It also hasn’t been hot enough yet to worry about runoff from the mountains at McAmmon.

The city said if you have any problems, or see any potential flood hazards, to contact them so they can get it taken care of as quickly as possible.

You can contact the city street department at 208-234-6250.