Playing Ring Around the Floodwater in Montana

So, driving through Montana on I-90 last week, we wondered if we were going to run into any problems with road closures. We had heard there was some issues with flooding, but were hedging that the interstate would be fine. We ran across signs that the flooding was very real, like the golf course whose fairways were all under water, leaving only little islands of the tee boxes and greens.
I had just taken over in Butte, and Collin had just gone back to go to sleep, when we passed Livingston, and I saw a reader board with a rather enigmatical message that said: "ROAD CLOSED AHEAD, EXIT NOW". I call it an enigma because I wondered what "road"? It didn't say INTERSTATE, just "ROAD".
I immediately noted that most drivers were ignoring the sign and continuing on down the interstate. There were no barricades, no emergency vehicles, no flares burning in the mostly sunny blue sky. So I too blew past the exit and kept going.
Before too long I saw a construction pickup rolling toward me in the fast lane, picking up traffic cones, so I figured whatever happened was finished.
But then I came upon police vehicles, flashing lights, cones, the works, guiding traffic off the interstate. I flip on the CB, which wakes up Collin, and we discovered that the interstate was indeed closed ahead, and the truckers in traffic ahead were discussing options. The drivers in the know said that this exit is for Hwy 89, and the officials are saying to go up to White Sulfur Springs and cut over on Hwy 12. After consulting the map, we decide we can take Hwy 12 over to I-94, and cut off a few miles, saving a trip back down to I-90. Then as we are wheeling in this big convoy, we see cars pulling up to park on the side of the road to make phone calls or consult their maps. Drivers are calling their dispatchers, and we are getting word that Hwy 12 is closed, too.
So on we drove into increasingly dodgy weather and fading confidence that the miles we added up would be worthwhile at all. We drove through a squall that buffetted us about, and spat rain and a bit of snow at us.
There is a stretch of Hwy 12, by the way, between White Sulfur Springs and Harlowton where the road is really rough and has NO shoulder - and since I was going the speed limit to help ensure I would stay on the road, I had to white knuckle it while a couple of semi trucks passed me. Yikes! Yet there were a couple drivers chatting it up on the CB for miles. I realized that those drivers were driving one handed while they keyed the CB mic, and I prayed neither of them were the ones passing me.
When we got to Harlowton, I led a train of trucks into the little Gas Station/Western Store. I needed to stop for a rest room break, but this is also where we ran up against the sign telling us that Hwy 12 was indeed closed, and so was Hwy 87, the road further north, which we might have taken to pick up I-94, too. We all invaded the store, to find that our only option at that point was to go down Hwy 191 back down to I-90. Hwy 12 had 500 yards of roadway with debris laden running water over it, and Hwy 87 had washed out completely. (I also found out that the driver of the FedEx truck behind me had been following me in the hopes that I knew where I was going.)
Collin and I took a short break, and I bought some slip on shoes. This from a store that I may never have visited if it hadn't been for this detour. Very nice shoes, thank you Ray's Western Wear.
Back on the road, we saw several houses up to their windows in floodwater, and my heart went out to the people whose lives had been turned inside out by nature.
Anyway, we headed on back to I-90. In the end, we drove 173 miles out of our way to cover what would have taken us 36 miles on the interstate, and worse, we burned about 4 hours of time. Grr.
We heard that what had happened is that a very full stream had brought debris down to clog a bridge until the water was flowing over the road. Even back on the interstate, we ran into one section that had about 100 yards of water about 2 inches deep across it. But after that, we had smooth sailing, er, driving all the way to Minnesota.