Roads remained closed in Meade and Pennington counties on Friday due to flooding, although water levels began dropping slowly in area streams.

Kathie Grant, director of emergency management in Meade County, said Friday evening there still were more than a dozen secondary roads in Meade County that were impassable.

"A number of our secondary roads are closed to traffic because of water over the road or water that has been over the road," Grant said. "People need to be cautious when traveling secondary roads in Meade County."

Some of the roads are north of Rapid City in the Ellsworth Air Force Base area, and others are scattered throughout the county, Grant said.

"We've also got at least two bridges under water," she said.

In Pennington County, several roads remained closed as of Friday afternoon. They were:

* 155th Avenue, south of U.S. Highway 14/16, in the New Underwood area

* 156th Avenue, south of U.S. Highway 14/16, in the New Underwood area

* 159th Avenue, south of U.S. Highway 14/16, in the New Underwood area

* Sharpe Road from Box Creek in the New Underwood area

* Paulson Road north of Quinn

* Sawvell Road, one mile North of Wall, off the Creighton Road

All other roads previously listed as closed are now open, according to the county's official Web site.

The voluntary relocation for Box Elder has been lifted.

The shelter at Douglas Middle School will remain open until 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7.

Pennington County emergency management coordinator Anthony L. Carbajal said 21 people had taken shelter at the school.

He told Pennington County commissioners Friday morning that damage to county roads was minimal. Carbajal said the most serious damage was done to private property. The Red Cross began making damage assessments Friday.

"All in all, we fared pretty well," Carbajal said. "We still have a lot of work ahead of us."

In Lawrence County, streams that rose quickly on Thursday started to drop slowly.

Lawrence County emergency management director Paul Thomson said he heard reports Thursday that Spearfish Creek in Spearfish Canyon was rising an inch to an inch and a half every hour. But on Friday, it was falling at about the same rate, Thomson said late Friday afternoon.

Residents who had been stranded in their homes along Pheasant Lane north of Spearfish were reached late Thursday afternoon by a 4-wheel-drive pickup. "They have limited access," Thomson said.

Residents who were evacuated from a mobile-home court in Whitewood were back in their homes.

But there were still problems from flooding. A St. Onge rancher said False Bottom Creek was cutting the bank through his place, and he was afraid it would take out a cow barn, Thomson said.

The Spearfish rubble site north of town remains closed until Monday.

Thomson said it would probably be Monday before crews can begin fixing damaged roads.

He said he would begin assessing road damage Monday.

In Meade County, emergency management director Grant lauded the efforts of the Black Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross for its efforts in helping flood victims. "If people want to help, the Red Cross has been stretched. They could sure use our financial assistance right now," she said.

Meanwhile, folks are still keeping an eye on the weather.

In Spearfish late Friday afternoon, Thomson said he was standing under a cloudy sky and getting ready to join in the downtown parade for the state fire school being held in Spearfish.

"I think we're going to get rained on," he said.

Journal staffer Deb Holland contributed to this report.

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com