In this photo provided by the National Park Service, is high water in the Gardiner River along the … [+]
This may be peak tourism season for Yellowstone National Park, but the natural wonder has had to shutter after flooding over the weekend caused extensive enough damage to require evacuations.
A high volume of rainfall (2.5 to 4 inches) and runoff from melted snow (5 inches) caused the Yellowstone River — which runs through the park and into neighboring communities — to reach a historic height of 13.88 feet, breaking a century-old record. The raging river destroyed roads and bridges, cut off electricity in nearby towns, and caused 10,000 tourists to be evacuated.
The northern part of the park, which spans between Wyoming and Montana, was most damaged, with landslides blocking roads and some small, riverside towns being cut off entirely by the flood. The National Guard is currently conducting air lifts and water rescues to assist those who have been stranded.
According to Cory Mottice, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Montana, “This is flooding that we’ve just never seen in our lifetimes before.”
Over the past month, precipitation across Montana and Wyoming has been 400 percent above average and has coincided with increases in temperature that have been accelerating snowmelt at higher elevations.
Yellowstone National Park will remain closed for the next couple of days. Park officials will not be able to assess the full extent of the flooding until conditions subside in the next few days. If the damage is severe enough, some portions of the park may remain closed for the duration of the season.
