(CNN) – Yellowstone National Park announced on Monday that all entrances to the park have been temporarily closed due to “extremely dangerous conditions” caused by “unprecedented” rainfall and floods.
“In effect immediately, all entrances to Yellowstone National Park are temporarily CLOSED due to significant floods, landslides and mudslides on the roads from recent unprecedented rainfall and floods,” the park said in a Facebook post.
Inbound traffic is not allowed, “until conditions stabilize and the park can assess damage to roads and bridges,” the publication added. The northern, northeastern, western, southern and eastern entrances are closed.
Many parts of the park are also experiencing power outages, according to the park’s Facebook post.
“With the forecast for additional rainfall, the park does not want a large number of visitors who are used during the day, blocked in the park,” the publication said.
“The river has never been so high next to my house,” said Elizabeth Alak, a resident of Gardiner, Montana, north of the park and serving as a visitor’s entrance.
As of Monday afternoon, Alak said he was unable to evacuate because roads and bridges in the area had been washed away.
Travelers planning to visit Yellowstone National Park in the coming weeks should monitor road conditions, the park advises.
“Things got rougher”
A family staying in a short-term rental house in Gardiner near the park’s entrance is now unable to leave their rental cabin due to flooding in the area.
The couple from Indiana Melissa and Parker Manning told CNN that they arrived at their rental place on Saturday with their family and expect to leave on Monday morning.
“It won’t happen soon,” Parker Manning said. “Water levels were high on Saturday, but things have gotten worse in the last 10-12 hours.”
The couple joined in a conversation with emergency management officials on Monday afternoon. Officials on the call suggested that local companies consider giving food, just in case.
Manning said they went to the grocery store and everyone was smart about what to stock up on and didn’t panic.
“Our exit from the city will be north at 89, but at the moment all these roads are under water,” Manning said.
The couple has no idea when they will be able to leave the city, but Manning hopes to do so within the next 48 hours.
The host of their rental was very understanding of the situation, Manning added.
Avoid streams and streams
Earlier Monday, the park said in a news release that roads in the northern part of the park would be temporarily closed “for a long time” before announcing a wider closure.
“Preliminary estimates indicate that many sections of the park’s road have been washed away between Gardiner and Cook City, Montana, and many bridges may be affected,” the statement said, adding that visitors to the north were being evacuated.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood warning in the park on Monday and advised campers and tourists to avoid streams and streams.
“Turn around, don’t drown when you encounter flooded roads,” NWS warned those in vehicles.
Mammoth, Osprey Falls, Indian Creek Campground and Lava Creek Campgrounds, all located in the park, are expected to experience flooding, NWS reported.
Top view: High water levels in the Gardner River along the northern entrance road to Yellowstone National Park.
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