Yellowstone National Park Suffers Severe Damage After Intense Flooding From Rain, Snow Runoff

Yellowstone National Park has temporarily closed all of its entrances after intense flooding damaged roads and bridges, authorities announced Tuesday.

“Northern portion of Yellowstone National Park likely to remain closed for a substantial length of time due to severely damaged, impacted infrastructure; Visitors traveling to park in coming weeks must stay informed about current situation, road and weather conditions,” the park said in a statement.

The park noted that there is “major damage to multiple sections of road,” and “many sections of road in these areas are completely gone and will require substantial time and effort to reconstruct.” The announcement said the park anticipates roads in the northern area of the park will not reopen this season due to the repair work needed. (RELATED: Woman Approaches Bison At Yellowstone. It Gores Her And Tosses Her 10 Feet Into The Air)

Aerial footage shows large portions of the roadway completely obliterated while others were partially unusable as flood water rushed by.

In one area, a “significant rockslide” occurred and blocked the road. There were mudslides and downed trees in other areas, according to the park.

Large rockslide on North Entrance Road in the Gardner Canyon. [Photo courtesy: Yellowstone National Park/Flickr]

Flooding occurred after intense rainfall and snowmelt.

The park told visitors to leave the campgrounds due to safety concerns, with more than 10,000 visitors having left since Monday, park Superintendent Cam Sholly said Tuesday, according to CNN.

CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said while parts of swollen rivers may begin to recede, high temperatures could trigger more snow-melt runoff and flooding.