Flash Flood in Lincoln County, Wyoming

Heavy rain from thunderstorms brought flooding and mudslides in, and to the south of, LaBarge. The flooding damaged 20 homes located mainly in the southwest portion of the town. Much of the flooding was confined to basements of homes and at least one church. High water scoured the channel of Birch Creek at the north end of town and exposed water and sewer pipes.

To the south of town, approximately four separate large channels along with many smaller rivulets flooded US Highway 189 between mileposts 77 and 81. The Wyoming Highway Patrol reported a mudslide near milepost 78 around Muddy Creek at 1651MST. Farther north near Names Hill another small canyon deposited mud and rock across the highway and onto private land. Five homes were damaged in the county, one of which was declared a total loss. Multiple sections of fence line were either washed away or completely buried by debris. Mud and rock plugged culverts along the highway and also buried culvert inlets. This set the stage for additional flooding across US Highway 189 over the course of the next several days.

Thunderstorms dropped very heavy rain over portions of eastern Lincoln County during the late afternoon hours of September 12. Rainfall estimated at around one inch fell in a little less than one hour. Flash flooding caused damage to 25 homes, most of which were in the town of Labarge, and along about a 3.6 mile stretch of US Highway 189 south of town.