YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — On June 13, 2022, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) experienced what they called a 500-year flood event. The park observed the occasion on Thursday with a social media post reflecting on the disaster.
Northern parts of the park received a combined 7.5 to 9.5 inches of rain and snowmelt in a 24-hour period. The flood destroyed several sections of the North Entrance Road between Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, and Gardiner, Montana, and three sections of the Northeast Entrance Road between Lamar Valley and Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana.
Within 36 hours of the event, the park evacuated all visitors in developed areas and conducted initial damage assessments. The damaged road re-opened to public travel on Oct.15, 2022.
“In what was a very tough time for many, we remain extremely grateful for the amazing support from our team of employees; park partners; surrounding states and gateway communities; contractors; congressional delegations; federal, state and local government officials; federal and state agencies; and national NPS and DOI leadership,” Yellowstone posted to Instagram, along with a video of the flood.
Folks observing the current situation on the Teton Pass have drawn comparisons to this flood and the way the emergency response to it unfolded. Impacts of the park’s closure trickled into Jackson in the days following the total park closure. Local officials opened up the Teton County Fairgrounds as a temporary campsite for those who had plans to camp in Yellowstone by way of Jackson.
