thunderstorm

While the damage from July's storm has largely been removed from streets and yards across Missoula, the cleanup operation continues.

Gov. Greg Gianforte has asked President Joe Biden to issue a presidential major disaster declaration for the July 24 storm that slammed Missoula.

Gov. Greg Gianforte visited Missoula on Thursday and took a tour of the debris drop-off location at Fort Missoula.

Susan Teitelman writes, "Planting the right types of trees in the right places and providing good care to our trees will help to ensure a robust, diverse tree canopy that is more resilient to extreme weather of all kinds."

Missoula's storm recovery has largely shifted to debris management and efforts to restore power in small pockets of the valley, county officials said Tuesday.

Missoula's mayor on Monday night spoke at length about last week's storm that devastated the city's power grid, toppled thousands of trees and forced residents to restrict water use for several days.

While the cost of last week's storm is still being calculated, the challenges it posed to the city's infrastructure were known from the outset.

Chainsaws continued to roar on Friday and some areas remained without power two days after a powerful storm ripped through the Missoula Valley.

The county said the sites will remain open for storm debris for two weeks, and some sites have designated hours.

Missoula County on Thursday cautioned residents to avoid waterways, including creeks and rivers, until further notice after reports that powerlines had fallen and may be electrifying the water.