RED LOGY, Mont. (AP) – This city at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park has become a dead end, the victim of severe flooding that ravaged one of America’s most beloved natural attractions and ravaged roads, bridges and homes. .
The unprecedented flood has closed the entire park and forced the evacuation of 10,000 visitors. And cities like Red Lodge that lead to the northern entrances to Yellowstone and that depend on tourists passing through could suffer for the rest of the summer.
Officials have said the southern part of the park, which includes Old Faithful, could reopen as early as next week. But the far north, which includes Tower Fall and the bears and wolves of the Lamar Valley, could remain closed for months after miles of a major road inside Yellowstone were washed away.
Red Lodge is facing a double disaster: it will have to clean up the damage caused by the flood in parts of the city and also figure out how to survive without the summer business that normally sustains it for the rest of the year.
“Winters are harsh at Red Lodge,” Chris Prindiville said as he dragged mud from the sidewalk outside his closed cafe, which had no fresh water or gas for the stove. “You have to earn your money in the summer to be able to earn it when the bills keep coming in and the visitors have stopped.”
At least 88 people were rescued by the Montana National Guard during the last days of campsites and small towns, and hundreds of homes were damaged by muddy water. A large house that was home to six park employees in the town of Gardiner was torn from its foundations and floated 5 miles (8 kilometers) downstream before sinking. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Red Lodge was under a warning to boil water and trucks supplied drinking water to half of the city that did not have it. Portable toilets were strategically located for those who could not throw the cistern home.
The Yodeler Motel, once home to Finnish coal miners, has faced its first closure since it began operating as accommodation in 1964. Owner Mac Dean said it will have to tear down the lower level. where 13 rooms have been flooded in water at chest height.
“Rock Creek seemed to be following its own course,” he said. “He jumped on the bench and went down the main street and hit us.”
Yellowstone is one of the jewels in the crown of the park system, a popular summer playground that attracts adventurous backpackers camping in the gray country, casual hikers strolling through the humid geothermal features, nature lovers watching elk, bison, bears and wolves from the safety of theirs. cars, and amateur photographers and artists trying to capture the pink and gold hues of the cliffs of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and its thunderous waterfall.
The 4 million annual visitors must pass through the small towns bordering the five entrances to the park.
The floods, caused by a combination of torrential rain and rapid snow melting, affected just as hotels around Yellowstone filled with summer tourists. June is usually one of the busiest months in Yellowstone.
President Joe Biden declared a disaster in Montana, ordering federal assistance to be available.
The season had started well for Cara McGary, who guides groups through the Lamar Valley to see wolves, bison, moose, and bears. This year I had seen over 20 grizzlies a few days.
Now, with Gardiner Road north of Yellowstone cleared, wildlife is still there, but it’s out of McGary’s reach. His guide business, In Our Nature, is suddenly in trouble.
“The summer we prepared for is nothing like the summer we will have,” he said. “This is an 80% to 100% loss of business during the high season.”
Flooding is another setback for companies like Gardiner’s Flying Pig Adventures, which guides rafting trips on the Yellowstone River.
It’s a similar move to how COVID-19 closed Yellowstone two years ago, reducing park visits in June 2020 by about a third before they recovered for the rest of that summer.
“We’re a resilient company, no doubt. We have a very tough crew,” said Patrick Sipp, co-owner of Flying Pig Adventures. “But it’s devastating. You just hate to see things like this in the community. We just hope we can get back to it relatively soon.”
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, has faced criticism from Democrats and the public for being out of the country during the disaster.
Spokeswoman Brooke Stroyke said in a statement Wednesday that the governor had left last week on a long-scheduled personal trip with his wife and “returns as soon and as soon as possible.” The statement did not say where the governor was.
In her absence, Montana Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras signed a declaration of emergency disaster on Tuesday.
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Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Brittany Peterson at Red Lodge, Amy Beth Hanson at Helena, Mead Gruver at Cheyenne, Wyoming and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.