Yellowstone National Park will remain closed through Tuesday and Wednesday at minimum, according to the National Park Service.

In a Facebook update Tuesday morning, Park County, Montana, officials stated extensive flooding had washed out roads and bridges, left communities isolated and even made drinking water unsafe in some areas.

Monday, all entrances to the park were closed due to heavy flooding, rockslides and extremely hazardous conditions. Many bridges and roads in the park are no longer operational.

One video recorded by the park’s helicopter manager showed flood conditions on the Gardner River where portions of the road between the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs had been wiped out.

Evacuations and rescues are being led in some parts of the park while other communities remain stranded due to road conditions and flooding, according to Park County’s Facebook page.

  • Multiple Montana communities are isolated and surrounded by water including Gardiner, Cooke City and Silver Gate.
  • County officials are telling those located in Paradise Valley to stay put if they are safe.
  • Livingston is under evacuation orders and an evacuation of Ninth Street Island has been completed. Several structures were lost in the Ninth Street Island community.
  • Two airlift rescues and several swift water rescues are going on throughout Park County with assistance from the National Guard for the air rescues.
  • Many people are also landlocked in parts of Cinnabear Basin, Tom Miner Basin, Mill Creek, Old Yellowstone Trail and stretches of U.S. 89.

In Carbon County, the community of Red Lodge is experiencing power outages and some areas of the town are under mandatory evacuation.

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An emergency shelter has been set up in Bozeman and additional shelters may be set up in Livingston if needed.

A “Do not drink” order was issued for Gardiner due to a water main breaking in the area. The Park County Health Department also advised that water from wells that have been submerged may not be safe for drinking.

The Yellowstone River reached record high levels on Monday due to heavy rain and melting snow, according to CNN. Precipitation for June in northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana has been more than 400% of the region’s average.

Water levels in the Yellowstone River reached 13.88 feet on Monday according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The previous record level was 11.5 feet in 1918.

Raging flood waters erode the North Entrance Road from Gardiner to Mammoth inside Yellowstone National Park Monday, June 13, 2022. The park remained closed Tuesday due to road conditions. | National Park Service
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