Extremely hazardous conditions that include heavy rain, flooding and rockslides have caused Yellowstone National Park to close for the first time in 34 years, park officials said.
All five entrances to the park, which spans over parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, will remain closed to visitors through at least Wednesday as park officials inspect damage to roads, bridges and other facilities. The closure includes those who made lodging or camping reservations within the park.
No injuries or deaths as a result of the hazardous conditions have been reported.
‘Due to record flooding events in the park and more precipitation in the forecast, we have made the decision to close Yellowstone to all inbound visitation,’ park superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement.
The closure comes at the start of the summer tourism season, and as Yellowstone was preparing to celebrate its 150th anniversary year. It is also the first time the park has closed during the summer since a series of devastating wildfires in 1988.
Sholly said the first priority was to evacuate the northern section of the park, where the majority of road and bridge failures and mudslides have occurred.
The southern loop was also evacuated Monday as officials believe more rain may come and continue to flood the area.
Several areas of the park are experiencing power outages, and preliminary reports also revealed that numerous roads across the park had either washed away or been covered in rocks and mud.
‘We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we’re able to assess the damage throughout the park. It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time,’ Sholly said.
The National Park Service said that those planning on visiting Yellowstone in the coming weeks should pay close attention to the status of road conditions as many roads may be closed for an extended period of time.
Yellow, established as the first national park in the world in 1872, sees hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is known for its geysers, wildlife and views.
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