Transportation

Geography

Historical Background

Disaster 1102

Identified Hazards

Issues

Maps

Kootenai County has 14 incorporated communities: Athol (pop. 676), Coeur d'Alene (34,514), Dalton Gardens (2,278), Fernan Lake Village (186), Harrison (267), Hauser (668), Hayden (9,159), Hayden Lake (494), Huetter (96), Post Falls (17,247), Rathdrum (4,816), Spirit Lake (1,376), State Line (28), and Worley (223). The total population for the county in 2000 was 108,685. That is an increase of 56% since 1990.

Transportation

Geography

Land Area: 1,310 square miles

Historical Background

Established December 22, 1864 by the Second Territorial Legislature with Seneaquoteen, a trading post below Lake Pend Oreille, as the county seat. Rathdrum replaced Seneaquoteen as county seat in 1881 and Coeur d'Alene replaced Rathdrum in 1908. Named for the Kutenai Indians who inhabited the area when the white man arrived. The word "Kootenai" is derived from the Kutenai word meaning "water people.".

County Seat: Coeur d'Alene

Landslide - 2/2000

Event Summary:   Landslide on Cape Horn Road  

County Summary: Landslide on Cape Horn Road isolated several residences.  A ferry was brought in to ferry families around.

Flood -  3/20/1997

Event Summary:     Rain showers led to flooding in North Idaho counties.

County Summary: Disaster emergency was declared by the county.

Flood - New Year's Day Storm - January 1-5, 1997

Event Summary:     $65,000,000.00 - New Year's day floods in the Weiser, Payette and Salmon River drainages of southwestern Idaho caused record flooding and numerous mudslides.  Warm temperatures combined with a rainfall 4-6 times the normal amount; the resulting snowmelt triggered devastating floods, mudslides and avalanches, extensively damaging communities and infrastructure  throughout Idaho .  The community of South Banks was condemned because of extensive slide damage.  Over 400 miles of roads and several railroad lines were blocked or destroyed, stranding over 10,000 holiday travelers in western Idaho . Residents of McCall, Cascade, Banks, Lowman and Garden Valley were isolated.  Rivers were "running like chocolate," carrying huge trees, mud and boulders; the Snake River at Hells Canyon Dam crested at 101,728 cfs January  1, nearly 30,000 cfs over its previous record level on  2/23/82 .  The crash of a plane carrying 5 people from Boise to McCall, killing all, was a result of the weather.  Governor Batt declared 13 counties a disaster: Gem, Adams, Washington,  Idaho , Clearwater , Valley, Payette, Elmore, Latah, Boundary, Bonner, Shoshone and Boise .  A Federal disaster was declared on  January 4, 1997 .

County Summary: $51,451.00

The Idaho Statesman 3/20/97

Severe Weather - 11/1996

Event Summary:   A vicious storm attacked Northwest residents.  Trees were knocked down in several cities.

County Summary: Many cities lost power for about 3 days.  County commissioners suspended fee for tree removal during cleanup.

The Spokesman-Review 21 Nov 96

Severe Weather - 2/1996 FEMA DR-1102

Event Summary:    $100,000,000.00 - The worst flooding in 30 years forces thousands to flee.  "one week deep freeze, the next deep water".  The deluge was triggered from fast-melting snow and days of heavy rains.  $5 million worth of damage occurred to highways from Bonners  Ferry to Grangeville.

County Summary: Coeur d'Alene had flooding in the Booth Park area and Arrow Ranch area.  Hayden had flooded roads and basements. Cataldo was evacuated after a large ice jam began to head towards town, within a day the town was under water.  Declared a disaster area.  Highway 97 was closed east of Coeur d'Alene to Harrison due to water over the road.
   The Spokesman-Review 9 Feb 96

Public Assistance - $1,149,463

Disaster Housing Assistance: 222 claims totaling $767,751

Individual & Family Grants: 43 claims totaling $156,672

Mitigation Projects: $53,045

Wildland Fire - 10/16-20/1991

Event Summary:   Over 30 fires were out of control throughout North Idaho this summer.  1 person, from Athol, was killed while fighting a fire.

County Summary: State of Emergency declared.  4 homes were destroyed near Hauser Lake by a 300-acre fire.  1 person died when the front-end loader he was operating overturned and crushed him.

Lewiston Tribune 17, 18 Oct 91

Severe Weather -  1/8/1990

Event Summary:   Northern and eastern Idaho bore the brunt of the storm when high winds attacked Idaho .

County Summary:

Idaho Statesman 9 Jan 90

Volcanic -  5/19/1980

Event Summary:     $13,700,000.00 - Mount St. Helens erupted from Washington spewing volcanic ash over several states.  Dust covered cities and contaminated drinking water.  The fallout prompted Governor Evans to declare a state of emergency. The counties in the panhandle received from one-inch to 3-inches of an ash blanket.  Costs for increased unemployment, destruction of vehicles and other equipment, damage to crops, livestock and timber, and lost tax revenues was about $13.7 million.  This does not include loss to residents, local businesses and government.

County Summary:

Flood -  1/15/1974

Event Summary:    $116,000,000.00 - Flood waters isolated much of the Coeur d'Alene mining district.  The waters burst dams, blocked major roadways and forced evacuation of at least 1,000 persons.  About $65 million in damages. Shoshone and Benewah hardest hit. $9.5 million in damage to road systems.  $51.4 million in damage to private property. Governor Andrus declared the counties disaster areas.  More than 30 bridges were destroyed in 3 counties.

County Summary: Over 1,000 people were evacuated from the Coeur d'Alene area.  Idaho National Guard was sent to Coeur d'Alene .  Reached 100-year flood levels.  Latour and Wolf Lodge Creeks flooded many residences.  Snow was melted within 24 hours.

Lewiston Morning Tribune 17 Jan 74

Wildland Fire - 7/27-8/24/1967

Event Summary:     $18,500,000.00 - A state of emergency was declared because of fires, closing range and forest land north of the Salmon River to the public.  The Idaho National Guard was dispatched to aid the fire fighters.  Fires were burning throughout the Coeur d'Alene, Nez Perce, and  St. Joe National Forests.  70,000-80,000 acres were burned.  Wind gusts were up to 60 miles per hour.  2 fire fighters died in the blaze.  "Deficit spending" was allowed to cover the costs of firefighting.

County Summary:

Flood -  December 21-23, 1964

Event Summary:    $21,000,000.00 - During the end of December 1964, warm weather combined with heavy rains and melting snow, causing flooding along the Payette, Big Wood, Little Wood, Portneuf, Clearwater and Boise River drainages.  Hwy 21 and 15, US 95N and 30E were closed.  Over 100 homes were damaged, numerous bridges were washed out, and thousands of acres of farmlands were flooded.  2 deaths were attributed to the flood.  A state of emergency was declared.

County Summary: Ten bridges were washed out above Pinehurst.  Emergency water supplies were sent to Pinehurst when the water system was contaminated by floodwaters.

The Idaho Statesman 12/24 and 12/27/64

Flood - 6/12-17/1950

Event Summary:   $1,000,000.00 - Flooding in Northern Idaho . A cloudburst caused flooding in the Lewiston area.

County Summary: Pend Oreille River flooded

Lewiston Morning Tribune 15 June 50

Flood - 5/23-6/5/1948

Event Summary:   The 1948 flood was caused by abnormal snowmelt augmented by rainstorms the latter part of May and in June.  The floods caused contamination of the water system, which left residents without drinking water. Over $3,700,000 damage to roads and highways. $30 Million damage to crops.

County Summary: 500 feet of road was washed out near Pinehurst.  Flood Emergency Declared

Idaho Statesman 4 June 48 ; Lewiston Morning Tribune

Flood - 3/27-29/1934

Event Summary:   Heavy rains lead to flooding.

County Summary: Flooding in the Couer d'Alene area.

Shoshone County Flood Control Project

Flood -  5/18/1917

Event Summary:     Spring floods suspended rail and highway transportation for several days.

County Summary: In Wallace, a jam formed on King street  forming a lake that turned into a torrent that destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of homes, washing them away.

Lewiston Morning Tribune 23 December 1933

Wildland Fire - The Big Blowup - 8/21-22, 1910

Event Summary:    $20,875,000.00 - In a brief 48-hour span, fires carried by hurricane-force winds burned more than 3 million acres, killed 85 persons, devastated the eastern part of Wallace and destroyed between 7 and 8 billion board-feet of timber.  The winds, which gave the Big Blowup its horror, came up from the southwest in the Nez Perce National Forest near Elk City .

County Summary:

The Idaho Statesman, Stephen Pyne's The Year of the Fires, The Big Blowup

Identified Hazards ( Most likely to occur & greatest impact)

Other Issues