All entrances to Yellowstone National Park have been closed to visitors and many were evacuated after unprecedented rain and flooding washed away roads and triggered rockslides. Millions of visitors are drawn to Yellowstone annually to see the wilderness, fish the wild waters, and explore the oldest national park in the United States. Yellowstone encompasses more than two million acres in the northwest corner of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
In 1918 the Yellowstone River reached a record high flow of 30,000 CFS. Yesterday, the river breached 50,000 CFS. Rivers across South central Montana, including the Madison river, have hazardous conditions.
Video recorded from a helicopter showed an inflated river coursing along a collapsed, eroded roadway at the park’s northern entrance. The superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, Cam Sholly, announced that its five entrances were closed to inbound traffic, at least through Wednesday, because of the “extremely hazardous” conditions. Mr. Sholly said the timing of the park’s reopening was uncertain until officials were able to assess the damage.
With so much damage happening in the area, there is no way to predict when the park will reopen to visitors from near and far. One day fishing will get back to normal, but for today, our hearts go out to those in the Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and we wish for a speedy recovery of the area.
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