Communities bordering America’s legendary Yellowstone Park were cut down and tourists were trapped on Tuesday after unprecedented flooding swept away roads and bridges in Montana and Wyoming, closing all access points. in the park.
Floods occur after heavy rains accompanied by rapid melting of the snowpack, such as the start of the tourist summer season.
Many structures, including houses, were destroyed, but no damage has been reported so far.
Park officials said they were assessing the extent of the damage caused by the weather, which drifted over bridges, caused mudslides and required evacuation by boat and helicopter.
It is unclear how many visitors were trapped or forced out of the park, or how many people living on the edge of the park were rescued and evacuated.
Some of the largest damage was reported north of the park and in communities bordering Yellowstone in southern Montana. Photos from the U.S. National Park Service show mudslides, destroyed bridges and mine roads along the Gardner and Lamar rivers.
Flooding blocked the dirt road in Gardiner, Montana, a town of about 900 people where the Yellowstone and Gardner rivers meet. Cooke City was also cut off by flooding and ordered the evacuation to Livingston.
Leaders in Park County, which covers these three counties, warned Monday night on Facebook that flooding has caused water to be unsafe to drink in some areas. Evacuation and rescue continue.
The Montana National Guard said it has deployed two helicopters in the south of the state to assist with evacuations.
The United States Weather Service said no rain is expected in the next few days and colder weather will slow the melting of the snow.
Yellowstone received six centimeters of rain Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Northeast of the park, ten centimeters of rain fell in the Beartooth Mountains, according to the U.S. Weather Service.
Associated Press
Source: Radio-Canada
