Record-setting rain and snow melt have caused considerable damage in Yellowstone over the past 24 hours. This amount of damage will have a long-term impact on the park and visitors.
If you've never been to Yellowstone National Park it is broken into five entrances because of how big the area is. Flooding has basically completely wiped out the road to Mammoth Hot springs from the North side entrance near Gardner. The aerial footage below was taken by the National Park Service (NPS) helicopter within the park.
With more rain in the forecast and such devastating damage done already, the NPS has closed all entrances to Yellowstone at this time. This area, especially this time of year is a major area for tourists and photographers alike. This will obviously heavily impact visitors but I'm also curious how much it will affect the habitats and wildlife in the area. I'm no civil engineer but I do know road work in national parks can take a long time to recover and this level of damage could have lasting effects if you're planning to visit anytime soon.
High water levels in the Lamar River eroding the Northeast Entrance Road.
Northeast Entrance Road washed out near Soda Butte Picnic Area.
High water levels in Gardner River alongside the North Entrance Road
All images used courtesy of Yellowstone National Park and in the public domain. Find up-to-date images and conditions here.
That is so sad to see. I hope wildlife moved to higher ground safely. A few years ago I was in Grand Teton when they had massive flooding due to rapid snow melt.
In a way this is better for the park. The animals are much better off without all the traffic.
This is 'damage' from a human convenience standpoint. It's nature doing what nature does, and always has done.
The wildlife might be grateful for the peace and quiet for a while. A good example of this is Chernobyl which has basically been reclaimed by nature and wildlife is abundant there.