Storm Damage Could Strike in Great Falls

1/24/2021 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls today at (406) 458-6008 for help with professional storm damage restoration.

Call SERVPRO for Storm Damage Restoration in Great Falls

Great Falls, Montana is located in the northwestern part of the state and has an estimated population of a little less than 60,000 people. Between the years 1950 through 1970, Great Falls was the biggest city in the state before getting surpassed once the city of Billings grew large. The town was the second-largest city in Montana until it was passed up by Missoula in 2000.

Great Falls History

For many years, the region has been inhabited by several Native American tribes, including the Blackfeet, Salish, and the Little Shell Chippewa tribe's headquarters. The first known Caucasian visitors of the region were the group on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A series of waterfalls located on the Missouri River drove the expedition group to the area as well as other explorers in the 19th century.

After the Lewis and Clark team made their way through the region in 1806, it would be quite sometime before the Native Americans living on the land saw more explorers. In 1822, explorer Jim Bridger reached the region on a fur trapping expedition. He returned to Great Falls with Major Andrew Henry with hopes to find animals to trap in April of 1823. However, the trapper's expedition was cut short when they were attacked by members of the Blackfeet tribe at their campsite.

Over the next few decades, the area would see a handful of explorers traversing the region. Then in 1880, businessman Paris Gibson visited the area looking for opportunities. The series of waterfalls located on the Missouri River attracted Gibson to the site because he envisioned an industrial city powered by hydroelectric generators.

Gibson returned to the site in 1883 with his friend and railroad tycoon Robert Vaughn who wanted to invest in the city and make it a hub for the railroad. The two businessmen, along with surveyors, platted the town and founded it that same year. The town was named Great Falls due to the five waterfalls in the area, and its first post office opened in 1884.

The Glorious Waterfalls

• The Great Falls/Ryan Dam: The dam was built on the enormous 80-foot waterfall in 1915, and it now stands 148 feet tall with the dam.
• Crooked Falls: This waterfall is about seven miles away from Great Falls, and it flows over an irregular shelf that is about 19 feet high and 300 yards across.
• Rainbow Falls/Rainbow Dam: Captain Lewis called the waterfall "a cascade of about fifty feet perpendicular" in his journal.

SERVPRO Can Provide Storm Damage Restoration Services in the Great Falls Region

During the winter, problems with storms are still prevalent in the Great Falls region. Winter storms can bring about their own problems with excessive wind and snow. Snowy weather can cause ice dams to form on your roof or your pipes to freeze and burst.

Our technicians at SERVPRO can offer the following to help you with your storm-related issues on your property:

• Fast, 24/7 Service: Our technicians are available all of the time, and we can arrive at your residence shortly after your call.
• Highly Trained Team: All of our crew is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) program.
• Advanced Technology: We have access to the industry's most industrially advanced equipment, including our testing instruments, extraction, and drying tools.

Call SERVPRO of Helena & Great Falls for all of your storm-related damage needs. You can call us 24/7 at (406) 458-6008.