Communities bordering America’s legendary Yellowstone Park were cut off and tourists were trapped on Tuesday after unprecedented flooding washed away roads and bridges in Montana and Wyoming, shutting down all access points to the park.
The floods occur after torrential rains combined with a rapid melting of the snowpack, just as the summer tourist season begins.
Multiple structures, including houses, were destroyed, but no injuries are reported at this time. Park officials said they were assessing the extent of the damage caused by the weather, which washed away bridges, caused mudslides and required evacuations by boat and helicopter.
It is unclear how many visitors were trapped or forced out of the park, or how many people who live on the edge of the park were rescued and evacuated.
Some of the greatest damage is reported in the north of the park and in communities bordering Yellowstone in southern Montana. Photos from the US National Park Service show a mudslide, destroyed bridges and mined roads by the Gardner and Lamar rivers.
Flooding blocked land access to Gardiner, Montana, a town of about 900 people where the Yellowstone and Gardner rivers meet. Cooke City was also cut off by flooding and evacuations were ordered in Livingston.
Leaders in Park County, which encompasses these three towns, warned Monday night on Facebook that flooding has rendered water unsafe to drink in several areas. Evacuations and rescues continue.
The Montana National Guard said it has deployed two helicopters to the south of the state to assist with evacuations.
The United States Weather Service said no rain is forecast for the next few days and cooler weather will slow snowmelt.
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 US Weather Service.