Prairie Flooding
These pictures were taken on June 20th (sorry, I am just now getting them off my camera!).
The amazing thing is that this is prairie land. There was a huge downpour of precipitation in a very short length of time, and the water created this massive temporary lake.
This bathtub drain effect was caused by a culvert under the road!
There isn't even a stream in this area under normal conditions. I have always admired the many deep gullies that cover this part of the state, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to see, first hand - how they can become a rushing river or a deep lake!
We just happened to be on the road that day and we arrived a few hours after the storm had passed this way. This picture was taken approximately 20 miles north of Billings.
I'd say this "bathtub drain" is about 8 feet in diameter. It was a pretty impressive sight, and I am not sure the pictures really convey the magnitude of the grassland area under water!
Thanks for the pictures, Cynthia. We live on a prairie in No. Az. just east of the big 'Shultz' fire that happened on the S.F. Peaks last month. Now we're being prepared for flash flooding during Monsoon season... I hope it doesn't get as bad as the area where you took your pictures!
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