Spring Rains

We've had a cool, wet spring here in Montana.  On average, we receive 13 inches of precipitation each year. In the month of May, we had 8 inches of rain! There has been a lot of flooding around us but we have been spared from major damage.

One day in late May we took a day trip to Yellowstone National Park. Upon returning home, we were surprised to find the driveway and part of the barnyard in a big mess. Evidently, a severe storm had blown through while we gone and it had dumped a large amount of rain in the hills above us. The runoff from the storm came rushing down toward our property. The culvert under the county road was unable to handle all the water. The water rushed along the ditch and road until it came to an opening ... our driveway!

The water rushed down our driveway displacing the gravel, washing out our French drain, and depositing debris along the way. Thankfully the water flowed off into the neighbor's pasture instead of flooding our house and barn.

As a result of the high volume of water, our culverts collapsed and many of them broke.

We are grateful the rain has diminshed and the temperatures started rising in mid-June. Earlier this month was the first time since October 2010  that the high temperature finally got up into the mid 70s.