Ice Jams Cause More Flooding; 5 in Car Drown

Ice jams caused more flooding Wednesday along the Snake River in Oregon and on Michigan’s Muskegon River, while in North Carolina six people were killed in weather-related traffic accidents, including five drowned when their car skidded on an icy road and landed upside down in a pond.

Rain and snow moved over the Northwest, and a winter storm warning was issued for northwestern Montana west of the Continental Divide, while more snow fell around the Great Lakes.

A travelers’ advisory was issued for upstate New York, near the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, where up to 6 inches of new snow was expected.

Snowfall Records Set

Buffalo, N.Y., had its most snow for any month on record in December at 68.4 inches, while Watertown, N.Y., had its snowiest month on record at 108.1 inches. Erie, Pa., had a record for December of 59.9 inches.

Icy roads were blamed for the crash that killed five young people early Wednesday when their car flipped and landed in a pond near Cashiers, N.C.

“It was foggy and the highway up there just froze with the sleet and snow,” state Highway Patrol Trooper Bob Allen said. “The driver lost control on the icy highway.”

Icy roads also were blamed for the death of a 19-year-old woman near Raleigh. The woman was thrown from a pickup truck which then overturned on top of her, police said.

Flooding along rivers choked by ice jams kept some people away from their waterlogged homes on New Year’s Day in Oregon and Michigan, and an ice jam on a river in Idaho threatened another city.

A 21-mile ice jam on the Salmon River in Idaho touched off minor flooding of farmlands and threatened the city of Salmon, while a developing ice jam on the Muskegon River in Michigan prompted a flash flood warning for residents along the river.

Ice Jam Causes Flooding

Near Ontario, Ore., 14 families have been evacuated because of flooding caused by a 40-mile-long ice jam on the Snake River, along the Oregon-Idaho border.

“There’s still a little bit of seepage, and we’re monitoring some families closely. It’s warmed up a bit and it’s fairly clear now,” said National Guard Capt. Theo Moore.

Many people took a day off Wednesday from dealing with flooding along the St. Clair River at Algonac, Mich., but Mayor Jim Steinmetz worried about future flooding.

“We’re looking at a pretty rough spring by the look of things,” he said. “It looks like things might turn pretty nasty right through April and May. All the ice still has to come down.”

High water had forced about 120 people out of their homes on seven islands in the river, Steinmetz said.