Several tourists who flocked to Yellowstone National Park were left stranded as bridges and cabins were washed away and power snapped after heavy rainfall. As a result, officials had to close all entrances to the park. Now, videos showing the extent of the calamity from the park has gone viral.
According to the Park County officials’ post on Facebook, immediate north of the famous park, several cities in Montana’s Park County experienced extensive flooding, which led to washed-out bridges and roads, making it unsafe to travel or impossible to evacuate.
Video shared by guests shows the heavy current of the river washing away a big cabin in Montana, leaving eyewitnesses and netizens equally stunned. Luckily, no injuries were reported so far.
Videos and photos also show mudslide and rockslides, making it difficult for visitors trying to escape national park area. In a moment caught on dashcam of another vehicle, a car is being hit by a rockslide in the park. However, according to ABC News, there were no reports of injuries in the incident.
“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 Park Superintendent Cam Sholly in a statement told CNN.
“Well over 10,000 visitors” were in the park, according to Sholly, who said at a news conference Monday he didn’t have an exact number, but average visitation in June can be between 15,000 and 20,000 people.
Current conditions of Yellowstone’s North Entrance Road through the Gardner Canyon between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs.
We will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available. More info: https://t.co/mymnqGvcVB pic.twitter.com/S5ysi4wf8a
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) June 13, 2022
Another video showed people waiting near a road being stunned watching a metal bridge being washed away by the overflowing river.
Officials in Park County took to Facebook on Monday evening saying that extensive flooding throughout the county had made drinking water unsafe in many areas. Evacuations and rescues were ongoing and officials urged people who were in a safe place to stay put overnight.
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PremiumCory Mottice, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings, Montana told AP: “This is flooding that we’ve just never seen in our lifetimes before.” The flooding happened while other parts of the US are experiencing hot and dry weather.
