Montana made national news last week after record-breaking floods in the southcentral part of the state. One week later and the towns affected are slowly picking up the pieces. 

Fromberg was one of the communities hit particularly hard by the floods, with the eastern side of the town suffering the most damage. According to an official of the town’s council, it is estimated that more than 100 houses were impacted, not including garages and sheds. Groundwater in the town is still high and keeps finding its way back into homes, making it nearly impossible to clean up houses thoroughly. 

The impacted homes were in the low-income area of town. Only three homes were insured out of all the houses impacted by the flood. Water almost threatened the entire town, with ditches breaking and water almost reaching the highway.

Jay Carter, director of the Public Works department in Fromberg, says some residents were able to return to their houses, while others are still taking shelter at the Fromberg gym, where 150 people are fed three meals daily. Some homes are still livable, while others are past the point of no return. 

When spoken to on Monday morning, Carter said it was raining and hailing in the area. They are currently getting estimates on affected houses. The town is also in the clean-up process, throwing away sheetrock debris, insulation, appliances, etc. Carter says at least four to five trash containers were filled and taken to the Billings Landfill. 

With new moisture accumulating, the river has come up slightly, and it is hard to tell when it will go back down. The town is pumping water every week to ensure houses are free of water and residents can try attempt to return to normalcy.