Flooding occurred throughout Moscow on Sunday, Feb. 23, as a result of quickly melting snow exacerbated by the day’s heavy rainfall. Temperatures began to rise above freezing last week, with the night of Friday, Feb. 21, being the first in over two weeks to stay above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Steve Schulte, Moscow’s Street and Storm Water Supervisor, said the snow water equivalent (the amount of water produced when snow melts) measured 2 inches with an additional 1.4 inches of precipitation over the weekend.
Four buildings on the UI campus were affected by the flooding. The basement of Willey suffered backflow from storm water leading to a loss of hot water and limited electricity from Sunday afternoon until Monday at noon. This temporarily impacted students’ ability to shower and do laundry. Wallace was depowered Monday morning after the breakfast rush at 10:30 for the replacement of a fuse, and power was restored around noon along with hot water and laundry services for the Willey wing, according to Directory of Facilities Rusty Vineyard.
The basement of Shoup Hall received significant damage from flooding, including damage to some of the costumes stored there.
A groundwater intrusion occurred in the basements of the Sheep Center and Library archive room, though no material was damaged.
Vineyard said all spaces are now dry.
Paradise Creek is Moscow’s primary conveyance system, collecting water from Moscow Mountain and the fields to the north and east. It passes through the east side of town and the north part of University of Idaho’s campus before exiting parallel to Idaho State Highway 8.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for both Latah and Whitman counties as Paradise Creek rose quickly early Sunday morning, reaching a depth of 10 feet at 3 p.m.
On Monday at 12:30 a.m., Paradise Creek reached a peak depth of 11.21 feet and has been decreasing since, according to Schulte. NWS lifted the flood warning on Tuesday. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, water levels are at 6.3 feet.
“Water intrusion or flooding is treated as an emergency,” said Samir Shahat, UI’s Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety.
Water was reported accumulating at the intersection of Paradise Creek Rd. and Stadium Dr. around 6 p.m. on Sunday. Facilities, Campus Security and Environmental Health and Safety mobilized with three crew members directing traffic by 6:30 p.m. and assisting a car that had stalled due to water in the air intake. By 7 p.m., roads were closed for driver safety until around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, according to Vineyard.
After students vacate Wallace in May, renovations will occur one wing at a time to update the interior finish, add AC and bolster the electrical capacity. This upgrade to the electrical systems will include moving the transformers from the basement to the ground floor.
The renovation plan existed prior to Sunday’s flooding, but will help reduce the likelihood of electrical problems similar to those that occurred in Willey.
“Future flooding won’t have as big of an impact,” Vineyard said.
Flooding occurred throughout Moscow on sections of Mountain View Rd., Stadium Drive, Fifth St., Roosevelt St., Blaine St., D St., White St. and Lemhi Drive. The city is still assessing damage to infrastructure.
Schulte said a section of the gravel shoulder on N. Mountain View Road eroded due to a nearby ditch overflow. Repairs were completed Tuesday and it is now safe to drive.
Schulte also said that a few garages on Hillcrest Dr. and Bridge St. experienced flooding but there were no reports of damages to homes interiors.
Flooding in Moscow is often linked to snow melt and is unlikely to occur again this year, according to Schulte. Flooding of this level is referred to as a 100-year storm event, in which historic and statistical data estimates a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. Flooding of this level last occurred in 2019 when Paradise Creek saw a record depth of 11.4 feet and in 1996 at a depth of 11.26 feet.
In the instance of future flooding, Steve Mills, Executive Director of Security and Parking, encourages students to not go around barricades closing roads.
Joshua Reisenfeld can be reached at [email protected].