Yellowstone National Park was shut down by the officials after severe unprecedented flooding conditions left locals trapped causing problems for the visitors as well.
The park has been closed for all visitors at least till Wednesday or till the conditions get better.
The Yellowstone National Park was promptly evacuated by the authorities and all visitors made it out safely but some of the local communities were left stranded inside in dangerous conditions.
The Yellowstone National Park authorities announced that the entrances of the park have been shut down for the visitors because of the “record flooding events” and with a forecast of more rainfall which might worsen the situation.
“Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides, and other issues,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly stated.
The cities located in the north of Yellowstone national park have also fallen prey to the extensive rainfall leading to flooding conditions.
Montana park county has experienced worse conditions as the roads and the bridges have been completely washed out, making it next to impossible to evaluate the county or travel elsewhere. The officials have raised concerns regarding the county and have issued warnings to the locals to avoid drinking the water because of contamination from the submerged wells as the main water line has been broken.
A resident of Park County, Elizabeth Aluck stated “the river has never been this high before by my house.” She also stated that she is unable to evacuate her place because all the bridges and roads surrounding her house have been completely washed out.
Another family which was staying in a rental cabin in the area of Gardiner stated that they were all set to leave in the wee hours of Monday b the flooding got them trapped in the middle.
“The water levels were high on Saturday but within the past 10-12 hours things have gotten rougher,” said the head of the family. “Our way out of town would be north on 89, but those roads are currently all underwater.”
The Yellowstone River which runs in several Park County cities as well as in the national park has swelled up to a record level because of the heavy rainfall occurring from the melted snow at higher altitudes – stated Brandon miller, a meteorologist.
“The river is still rising near Livingston, and it is expected to crest between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday,” Park County officials said.
The Park County communities such as Silver Gate, Cooke City, and Gardiner remain completely surrounded by water and are isolated from the rest of the country as the floodwaters have washed away the roads and continue to damage their homes as they are stranded in their houses.
