Heavy rain causes emergency closure of Yellowstone

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Persistent and heavy rain has prompted park officials to call for the temporary closure of a northern portion of Yellowstone National Park. Some roads have become impassable due to substantial flooding, rockslides, and mudslides as a result of recent unprecedented amounts of rainfall.

All entrances into Yellowstone National Park are now closed as of 11am Monday, June 13. 

Effective immediately, no inbound visitor traffic will be allowed into the park until conditions stabilize and the park can assess damage to roads and bridges and other facilities. This includes visitors with lodging and camping reservations. 

The following roads are temporarily closed:

• North Entrance (Gardiner, Montana) to Mammoth Hot Springs
• Mammoth Hot Springs to Tower-Roosevelt
• Tower-Roosevelt to the Northeast Entrance
• Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Junction
• Canyon Junction to Tower-Roosevelt

Some of these roads may remain closed for an extended period of time. Preliminary assessments show multiple sections of road in the park have been washed out between Gardiner and Cooke City, Montana, and multiple bridges may be affected.

Visitors currently in the northern portion of the park are being evacuated. Power is out in several areas of the park. Strains on wastewater and water treatment facilities could become a factor and the park is taking precautions to ensure facilities are not failing.

US Highway 89 S is closed at Yankee Jim Canyon due to approximately 3 feet of water on the road. Check the Montana Department of Transportation for road updates.

The National Park Service, Park County, Montana, and state will work with the communities of Gardiner, Silver Gate and Cooke City to evaluate flooding impacts and provide support to residents.

Crews will begin to assess damage in the southern portion of the park soon.

Rainfall is expected to continue for the next several days.

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