Major flooding along the Hi-Line in northern Montana sends ranchers scrambling to save their property and cattle.
Rancher describes race to save cattle from Milk River flooding
Valley County resident Greg Lacock shared dramatic drone video from his parents’ ranch near Hinsdale on Thursday. (Photo: Greg Lacock)

Valley County resident Greg Lacock shared dramatic drone video from his parents’ ranch near Hinsdale on Thursday.

Lacock tells us an ice jam caused the Milk River to rise rapidly, flooding the pens where they keep their cattle.

“By 10:30 I called my brother to come help, because we were already not able to get the cows to swim out the gates. We were having to cut the fences down so that they could get out of their pens,” Lacock told us.

He said several neighbors rushed to help, bringing horse trailers and straw, but they had to keep pushing the cattle higher and higher.

“We just kept thinking, you know, it’s going to stop rising. That ice will break and then it’ll be going back down any time. And it just did not let up all day,” Lacock said.

People also showed up with shovels, racing to push dirt up around some of the ranch’s buildings.

Lacock tells us the ice jam finally broke and the water dropped 3 to 5 feet overnight.

He says the house and shop were saved, but some calves were lost.

When we asked Lacock his message to those who pitched in to help, he had this to say: “Oh, just immense gratitude. Yeah. It’s just so amazing to see a community come together like that.”

Flood advisories and warnings are in place for several areas along the Hi-Line including Blaine, Hill and Valley counties.

If you’re driving and come upon a flooded area, weather officials urge you to turn around.

The price for the butter so essential to the pastries has shot up in recent months, by 25% since September alone, Delmontel says.

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