Flooding may lead to evacuations in some Wyoming communities this week. Rapid snowmelt and heavy rain have brought the North Platte and Laramie rivers to flood levels. Kelly Ruiz with Wyoming Homeland Security says Saratoga, on the west side of the Snowy Range, will be hardest hit.
“Right now, the National Weather Service is predicting that the North Platte River at Saratoga, they’re predicting it to be at 10.58 on Friday. And that’s a record level of water. The previous record was set in 2011 at 10.49.”
The National Guard has used 30,000 sandbags to raise the height of the riverbank along the North Platte. Near Wood’s Landing, in Albany County, the National Guard is also placing sandbags to protect homes from flooding of the Laramie River.
Ruiz says people living near flooding rivers should stay informed about evacuations and start making plans to get their families, pets and livestock to safety, if necessary.