Must-watch video: Raging Montana creek swallows bridge as it collapses, flood emergency declared
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a flood emergency in Libby on Dec. 11, as widespread flooding swamped Northwest Montana.
River claims bridge, roadway in Lincoln County, Montana
A rushing river claimed a bridge in Libby, Montana after a powerful atmospheric river bought rounds of rain into the region.
LIBBY, Mont. – A raging creek tore through a bridge and claimed a road in Libby, Montana in a must-see moment captured on camera.
Onlookers could only watch on the afternoon of Dec. 11 when the power of the Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was.
Video footage displays the destroyed bridge, and the jaw-dropping moment a massive slab of concrete succumbs to the raging water.
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Image 1 of 4The power of an atmospheric river moisture fueled Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was (Mark Wigner/TMX)
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Image 2 of 4In a harrowing moment caught-on-camera, the bridge slipped into the creek below. (Mark Wigner/TMX)
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Image 3 of 4A massive concrete slab fell into the water below in Lincoln County, Montana. (Mark Wigner/TMX)
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Image 4 of 4Onlookers could only watch as the raging Libby Creek tore through the bridge and road on Farm to Market Road near Libby, Montana. (Mark Wigner/TMX)
FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARED AS HISTORIC FLOODING SWAMPS WASHINGTON STATE
A major atmospheric river event brought rounds of moisture to the Northwest, where the effects were felt in Lincoln County in Northwest Montana among a host of other locations throughout the region.
A sign for a Christmas tree farm is pictured as flood waters from the Snohomish River cover Marsh Road off State Route 9 in Snohomish, Washington, on December 11, 2025. Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders Thursday in western North America, after days of heavy rain forced rivers to burst their banks. Storms have battered Washington state in the US and British Columbia over the Canadian border for several days, with rivers continuing to rise.
((Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images))
Across Lincoln County, like many communities in the region, flooding has inundated major roads and forced evacuations.
WATCH: COAST GUARD RESCUES 4 TRAPPED IN WASHINGTON HOME'S ATTIC DURING DEVASTATING FLOODING
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, at least five bridges across the county have been damaged or destroyed as emergency response teams and transportation officials assess infrastructure conditions and guide recovery efforts.
Due to the widespread flooding, a boil water advisory was declared for Libby by the Lincoln County Health Department due to a potential bacterial contamination in the drinking water system.
"The Libby public water supply has experienced high turbidity due to county-wide flooding," a press release said.
WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO DURING A BOIL WATER ADVISORY
A boil water advisory means the water in your community has, or could have, germs that can make you sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a flood emergency in Libby on Dec. 11, as widespread flooding swamped Northwest Montana, with more rain forecast to fall in the region.
(FOX Weather)