Thursday evening found supervisor Dick and myself touring the flood areas north of Lander. It was a stunning evening. The waters and flooding threat in Lander had receded. Folks were starting to amp up to get out. They call it the "glide path". When the direction changes from getting 'er done to getting out, it becomes a race to be the first ones out! I waited an hour and a half in the Finance line today as workers, equipment operators, and staff plodded through the archaic process of handwriting and hand checking numbers.
Concern shifted to the north with the Big Wind river rising thanks to a significant rain Wednesday night in the Togwotee Mountains which feed this river. I drove along this river on my way home today admiring the river's giant round boulders with raging foamy water rushing downstream. There was plenty of water, but it looked like a normal spring runoff.
So, just like that, I am home, the threat seems over and I ponder all I have learned from this experience. Many folks very willingly offered-up suggestions and I will compile these notes should Teton County see a flood. The week was an amazing experience in watching the Incident Command System at work, the willingness of 43 agencies to work together, the local support and appreciation and my gratitude at being a part, albeit a very small part, of the Freemont Flood of 2010. Thanks for sending me, Chief!
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