![]() The North Entrance Road of Yellowstone was severely damaged by flooding June 13. The plant resumed operations at a low level Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday morning it was working at full capacity, city officials said. The flooding prompted officials to shut down the city water plant late Tuesday night, the city’s public works department said. ![]() By Tuesday afternoon, the river at Billings had surged well above its previous record of 15 feet, according to the weather service. The level of runoff is comparable to the region receiving two to three times a normal June’s precipitation in only three days, according to CNN meteorologists.Ī flood wave moved east Tuesday and Wednesday along the Yellowstone River, the National Weather Service said, leading to reports of major flooding in Billings, which is about a 175-mile drive east of Gardiner. The record flooding was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt from high elevations over the weekend in the Beartooth and Absaroka mountain ranges, which stretch across the Montana-Wyoming state line. Region braces for more potential flooding The flooding in Red Lodge, Montana, left the roads covered in rocks and debris. Quickly moving waters compromised several roads and bridges, submerged cars and even swept away homes as the underlying foundations became completely worn away. The battering floodwaters wiped away entire segments of paved road near the northern entrance, downed trees and triggered multiple mudslides.Ĭommunities surrounding Yellowstone are also reeling from the catastrophic damage. Park temporarily closed as locals try to recoverĪll five entrances to Yellowstone will remain closed through at least the weekend, the park said in a release Tuesday, and the northern roads of the park will likely be closed for an extended period due to “severely damaged, impacted infrastructure.” “Federal funding is available to State, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm and flooding in the counties of Carbon, Park, and Stillwater,” the declaration states. President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a disaster declaration for Montana in areas affected by flooding. In Montana’s Park County, which includes Gardiner, water has been receding, and access to the communities that had been surrounded by floodwater has been restored for emergency vehicles at a minimum, Greg Coleman, the county’s emergency services manager, said Wednesday morning. The Montana National Guard this week carried out 87 rescues by helicopter, it said Wednesday on Facebook. The dangerous flooding fueled by heavy rainfall and snowmelt began to inundate the park and several surrounding communities Monday, overtaking essential roadways and bridges, and making it dangerous or impossible for some people to evacuate.Īs some communities became surrounded by water, at times without power or drinking water, search and rescue teams worked to evacuate residents. Sholly hopes gateway communities and park staff can determine how to sustain local businesses without attracting more visitors than the park can host, the paper reported. In Cody, which lies east of the park, tourism industry workers were eager for answers from Sholly on the southern loop reopening, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. “It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism,” Park County Commissioner Bill Berg said of Gardiner. Now, she says, all but one of her visitors are gone following the flooding, and one neighboring hotel has shut down and sent its employees home. New satellite imagery shows flooding in Yellowstone altered the river's course The less-impacted southern loop could reopen as early as Monday, Park Superintendent Cam Sholly told residents and tourists in Cody, Wyoming, on Wednesday, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.īut while the southern loop reopening may provide relief to some tourism industry workers, those bordering the northern entrance are still left to wait. The park’s northern region, which bore the brunt of the flood damage, is expected to be closed for a “substantial length of time,” which will likely go through the end of the season, the park said in a release Tuesday. The sudden closure has fueled concerns from business owners and employees in surrounding communities who rely on Yellowstone visitors as a key source of revenue. Heavy rains and rapid snowmelt caused rivers to swallow bridges, sweep away entire sections of roadway and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 visitors. Yellowstone National Park could partially reopen as early as Monday as officials continue to assess the damage caused by historic flooding, which now threatens to hamper the peak of the summer tourist season. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |