Flooding from rainstorm leaves campers stranded near Canyon Ferry, hits some businesses

Phil Drake

Wednesday’s heavy rain caused several campers to be temporarily stranded in the Canyon Ferry area, officials said, and brought some problems to some downtown Helena businesses.

Lewis and Clark County emergency dispatchers received a call about 6:15 p.m. from someone at the Riverside Campground, just below the Canyon Ferry Dam, who said a rainstorm had gone through and the campground is flooding, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said.

Campers were temporarily stranded Wednesday evening when the Riverside Campground flooded.

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office

Deputies from the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, members of the Tri-Lakes Fire Department and the Search and Rescue team were notified, he said. Dutton said there were about 12 camping vehicles stranded by the water and in some cases the water was rising on their campers.

Recently the area was hit by the Horse Gulch fire, which burned 15,167 acres in July and August, and the burn area did not absorb the water and burnt trees were being pushed down Jimtown Road, Dutton said. Water was also running across the

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