Yellowstone Reopens a Key Gateway After Devastating June Flooding
Jul. 28, 2019
by Scott Wilson, Office of the Montana Governor
Yellowstone Reopens a Key Gateway After Devastating June Flooding
Yellowstone National Park is home to a unique ecosystem that offers visitors an unparalleled opportunity to experience iconic natural wonders along with cultural and spiritual attractions. At this summer’s park’s annual re-opening, park officials are focusing on building awareness about the ongoing threats that continue to affect the park and visitors, by showcasing the park’s best, most recently-restored sections and enhancing current and future infrastructure. This includes a plan to completely re-open one of two major entrances to the park, with a more aggressive re-opening schedule for other key access points.
A Record-Setting June Flood Impact
The June flooding in Yellowstone National Park was the worst to date and resulted in extreme damage to structures and structures that remain in poor condition. The Park was hard hit: the park infrastructure, visitor campgrounds, visitor cabins at the Upper Fishing Bridge, visitor cabins at the Lower Fishing Bridge, a small visitor center at Yellowstone Lake and a portion of the park visitor parking lot near the East Entrance Station, were all damaged or inundated.
“Our first priority is to provide food, shelter and clothing to individuals who are impacted by the flooding,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk. “I also want visitors to know that we are working hard to help provide safe access to the park, to the homes of park staff and volunteers who work hard each day to protect the park, and to the people of the country, who will continue to look to us for leadership and inspiration.”
The park remains committed to working with our partners, including Congress and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to develop a comprehensive plan to address the long-term impacts of the flood which, by next year’s re-opening event, will be made available to the public.
A Record-Setting June Flooding Impact
The June floods triggered by sustained rain in Yellowstone are among the worst natural disasters to affect the Park in recent history. But the flooding was made even worse by the extreme amount of precipitation, creating significant rainfall patterns that have led to flooding that exceeded the capacity for the existing structures to handle. These