FLOODING UPDATE: Get the latest on historic flooding in the greater Yellowstone region | State & Regional

President Joe Biden has announced a major disaster declaration for Montana in response to the flooding activities.

Part of the release states: 

“The acute damage to infrastructure, particularly in and around Yellowstone National Park, will impact communities that rely on tourism and recreation for livelihoods, jobs, and revenue. Park County benefits from more than $200 million annually in tourism, and Carbon County brings in $68 million annually from tourism.”

• Initial damage estimates due to flood activity in the greater Yellowstone region are starting to roll in. A request to the Biden administration to issue a presidential major disaster declaration, the state estimated the damage to transportation infrastructure alone is $29 million. Among other things, the request points out that Carbon County relies on $68 million from tourism each year, and Park County sees $200 million injected into its local economy. It is very unlikely communities will see those dollars this year. 
• The flow of the Yellowstone River around Billings receded several feet overnight and city residents were able to resume normal water use as of Thursday morning. The surge along the Yellowstone had caused crews to temporarily shut down the Billings water treatment plant on Wednesday. 
• During a call with residents and tourists in Cody, Wyoming the Yellowstone National park superintendent said the entire park will remain closed through the weekend. The less-damaged southern loop of the park is now expected to open Monday at the earliest. Park officials continue to assess the damage. 
• Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is set to declare an emergency in response to historic flooding in the park. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a disaster for flooding on Tuesday. 

Flathead County declared a state of emergency in response to anticipated flooding and current flooding.

To date, there is a pre-evacuation notice in place for low-lying areas across Flathead County. Official evacuation notices have been issued for Leisure Road in Kalispell and Blankenship Road from Blankenship Bridge to the North Fork Road.

North Hill Top Road in Columbia Falls.

From Steel Bridge Road to Muddy Drive in Kalispell.

West Side Hungry Horse Reservoir Road between Mazie Creek and Graves Creek Road.

7-mile Upper Whitefish/Stryker Road in the Stillwater State Forest.

Evacuations have been lifted and roads open to resident traffic only are Rabe Road in Columbia Falls and Lake Drive and Bailey Lake Area in Columbia Falls.

The Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter at Columbia Falls High School for individuals affected by the evacuation orders. The Sheriff’s Office has established an information line at 406-758-2111.

For current information, follow the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page.

The Custer Gallatin National Forest has posted an area closure on its website, shutting down all lands, roads and trails in Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Park and Gallatin counties.

The exception is the Pryor Mountain portion of the forest, which remains open.

“The purpose of this order is to protect emergency personnel, public health and imminent life safety due to widespread flooding events, roads and facility damage in Carbon, Park, Stillwater and Sweet Grass counties,” the posting said.

The closure is in effect from Tuesday through June 24, or until it is rescinded. Violations of the closure can result in a $5,000 fine or six months in jail.

For more details, contact the forest office at 406-587-6701.

Closures are also impacting the Beartooth, Gardiner and Yellowstone Ranger Districts and includes all National Forest system lands within those districts as crews get out to assess damage, the stability of bridges and facilities.

“Many of our trailheads in the Paradise Valley and (Absaroka-Beartooth) aren’t able to be accessed regardless,” said forest spokesperson Mariah Leuschen-Lonergan. “As waters recede engineers and recreation staff are getting in and determining the safety and stability of infrastructure. We are aware of some washed out roads and bridges and need to assess conditions.”

In Cody, the Forest Service announced the snowmelt impacts were having impacts on the areas recreation sites. They urged patience from travelers. 

Some campgrounds, roads, and trails may need to be closed for resource protection as well as public safety. Visitors should plan ahead and visit the Shoshone National Forest website (http://www.fs.usda.gov/shoshone) and Facebook page (US Forest Service – Shoshone National Forest) for updates on any areas that may be closed or impacted.

“We know that there are a lot of people who had planned trips to the Greater Yellowstone area and are now having to adjust itineraries because of closures,” said Wapiti, Clarks Fork, and Greybull District Ranger Casey McQuiston. “The Shoshone National Forest remains open to visitors and recreationists. Additionally, the Washakie and Wind River Ranger districts of the Shoshone National Forest have not been as impacted as the northern portion of the Shoshone, and there are wonderful recreational opportunities on that end of the Shoshone as well.”

As daily high temperatures continue to increase throughout the week, with predicted temperatures above 90 by Friday, snowmelt and subsequent runoff could prolong and even potentially exacerbate some of these conditions. The Shoshone National Forest will continue to evaluate the situation and will respond to changing conditions, getting associated information out to the public as soon as possible Wapiti, Clarks Fork, and Greybull Ranger districts Office at 307.527.6921.

Water levels along the Yellowstone River at Billings appear to have peaked late Wednesday morning and may now be incrementally dropping.

vernight, the river rose to 16 feet, a full foot higher than its record crest of 15 feet in 1997 and a foot and a half higher than what was initially forecast for the city earlier this week.

By 9 a.m. on Wednesday the Yellowstone had climbed to 16.4 feet and then appeared to jump to 17.52 feet at 11 .a.m., according to data from the National Weather Service. By 12:45 p.m. levels had dropped to 16.3 feet.

Ranches and farmsteads south of Billings stretching to Edgar have been inundated. Yellowstone County officials closed half a dozen roads and are monitoring four bridges. 

The area south of Billings at River Road and Duck Creek was nearly all under water, flooding a number of farms and ranches. Water from the Clarks Fork had flooded land and ranch houses around Byam Road at the Yellowstone/Carbon County line as well as the Pryor Edgar Road near Edgar. 

Cities in eastern Montana along the Yellowstone River’s path are forecast to see higher levels of water but so far not enough to push them into a major flood stage, according to the weather service.

The Yellowstone at Forsyth is predicted to crest at 12.7 feet on Friday morning; flood stage there is 14 feet.

Miles City could see some flooding. The river is expected to crest there at 14.8 feet on Friday afternoon; minor flood stage at Miles City is 14 feet.

Further down the line, the Yellowstone at Glendive is forecast to crest sometime Saturday morning, reaching 53.2 feet. The minor flood stage there is 53.5 feet.

In Sidney, the river is forecast to crest at 17.8 feet on Saturday afternoon. Minor flood stage there is 19 feet.

Unsafe conditions remain in the flooded area; the public is urged to stay away from closed areas. Reports of the public accessing unsafe areas continue to be a concern for law enforcement. Many roads, streets and sidewalks are unstable and could give way. Please avoid the area.

The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River near Fromberg and Edgar are experiencing significant flood impacts as well as Rock Creek in Red Lodge. It is expected that water will continue to recede today.

A significant warming trend is expected this Friday/Saturday and the public is urged to stay alert of changing water conditions. Public Works staff along with Montana Department of Transportation are assessing the damage due to the floods. The public is urged to stay away from the flooded and closed areas for their own safety. A boil order is still in effect for Red Lodge, Fromberg and Edgar.

Current evacuation orders in effect:

Red Lodge: Evacuation orders in Red Lodge have been lifted.

Fromberg: All areas east of Highway 310, south of East River Road west of the river.

Joliet: No evacuation orders are in effect at this time.

Bridger: No evacuation orders in effect at this time.

All drinking water from the tap should be boiled before use in Red Lodge, Fromberg and Edgar. Public Works has reestablished water service to parts of Red Lodge but significant damage to the infrastructure has occurred and parts of Red Lodge remain without water. Water is out in Fromberg as water pumps supplying the town were underwater.

As water recedes, ongoing assessments of area roads/bridges will continue today. Crews are working to restore 19th Street bridge in Red Lodge; however, this road remains closed to the public. Highway 308 bridge is comprised, remains closed to the public and crews are working to restore the Highway 308 bridge. Crews will also be working on Meteetsee bridge; however, this road remains closed to the public. Crews are working to reestablish access to the water plant today and clearing debris out of roadway in Red Lodge. Crews will be in Fromberg and Belfry today working on road access. Lover’s Lane in Belfry remains closed. Northwestern Energy will be working in the area fixing gas lines and working on restoring electric poles. Bridge engineers arrived today and will be working with county road departments on assessing damage.

The American Red Cross has setup evacuation shelters located at the following locations:

• Red Lodge Fairgrounds

A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 16th at Fromberg School at 6:00 PM at 319 School St, Fromberg, MT 59029. The meeting will also be lived stream to Facebook Live at the Carbon Alerts Facebook page.

The public can get sandbags at the following locations, volunteers have been assisting with filling bags:

• Joliet Road Shop, 202 State Street

• Bridger Road Shop, 22 Old Mine

Weather: Seasonally cooler weather remains today with temperatures in the 60’s in the lower elevations with upper elevations in 40s- 50’s. No significant rain is expected over the next 24-48 hours. Warmer weather is expected to arrive tomorrow and into Friday and Saturday. Water levels will potentially rise with the warmer weather moving in the region later in the week. The public is urged to remain cautious, stay alert of changing water conditions and stay clear of flooded areas.

The Western Montana Type III Incident Management Team continues to assist local flood relief efforts. Numerous agencies are on scene including: Carbon County DES, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Red Lodge Police Department, Red Lodge Fire & Rescue, Montana Highway Patrol, Fromberg Volunteer Fire Department, Bridger EMS, Bridger Volunteer Fire, American Red Cross, City of Red Lodge, Public Works, Forest Service, Beartooth Billings Clinic, Carbon County Public Health Department, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana FWP Game Wardens, Two Bear Air, and Montana National Guard.

For current information follow the Carbon Alert Facebook page or call 406-426-2425.

Stillwater County — Flooding has impacted the entire Stillwater River, parts of the Yellowstone River, Itch-Kep-Pe Camping Area and Reed Point.

• Damage assessments and resource allocations were ongoing. 

• Roads and bridges in the area remained impassable. 

• Sandbagging operations were continuing. Sand bags are available at Absarokee Fire Hall and in Reed Point.

• Air rescues from West Rosebud and Emerald Lakes were successfully completed. 

• Evacuations were lifted but only residents should return to the area. 

• Road and Bridge Department are assessing and opening roads as they are deemed safe to traffic.

The following roads were closed:

• Road and Bridge Department are assessing and opening roads as they are deemed safe to traffic

• DES reported to MT DES Duty Officer and NWS

 West Rosebud to Mystic Lake

 Fiddler Creek Rd to Hwy 419

 Nye Rd at Carters Camp going South

 S. Stillwater River Road is open from Nye to Beehive. Closed at Beehive

 Stillwater River Road Bridge compromised/not passable at Riddle’s Cliff

 Johnson Ln Road towards North Stillwater River

 Miller Rd at North Stillwater River Rd

 E Jack Stone Rd to North Stillwater River Rd

 Lower Flat Rd off of Joliet Rd. Closed to all but residential traffic

 Yellowstone Bridge in Reed Point

 Miller Bridge on N Stillwater River

 Hwy 419 Going West (Bridge Completely Gone)

 Ingersoll Rd off Hwy 78

 Nye Rd to the Sibanye/Stillwater Mine going south (Road is Gone)

 All Campgrounds and Fishing Accesses in the county are closed until further notice. Per Montana Fish & Game and The United States Forest Service

During a recent meeting, Red Lodge fire chief and emergency commander Tom Kuntz told residents that every bridge south of Red Lodge is “compromised.”

Residents also expressed concerns over the future. The flood has displaced residents from their homes and shuttered businesses that depend on the busy summer months. 

“As a community leader, I think I always want to say Red Lodge is open for business,” Kuntz told the crowd. “Right now, Red Lodge should not be open for business.” 

A sign on alongside the highway in Rockvale warns travelers to stay away. It reads: “Red Lodge is evacuated. Please do not come.”

The Yellowstone River crested above 16 feet overnight, a foot above the previous record. It was so high, the river gauge was overwhelmed and stopped measuring at 15-feet, 4-inches.

Billings Public Works officials warned city leaders Monday night that if the river rose to 15 feet it would put the water and wastewater treatment plants in jeopardy. A levy has been built around the plants and water pumps have so far been keeping up with whatever river water is coming over the levy.

In the small town of Edgar, flooding from the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River swamped all the septic tanks. Residents can’t use their toilets and porta-potties have been set up on every street corner.

Downriver, small farm towns like Huntley Project, Worden, and Ballantine are swamped, but no reports yet of lost roads or bridges. Further downriver, cities like Forsyth and Miles City are bracing for the surge with voluntary evacuation orders in the low country along the river.

As temperatures rise this weekend and more rain is in the forecast, there could be a second surge.

The flood damage will keep the northern half of Yellowstone National Park closed to tourists for the rest of the summer, Superintendent Cam Sholly told reporters Tuesday evening. The area includes the iconic Lamar Valley, Tower Falls and Mammoth Hot Springs.

The southern loop of Yellowstone National Park may reopen to visitors in a week or less, he added, using some type of reservation system or timed entry to control entry. Travel from Jackson, Wyoming, was already going to be hampered by road construction. Entrances that would be reopened for the southern loop include the East, South and West gates near Cody, Jackson and West Yellowstone, respectively.

The water is receding north of Yellowstone National Park.

Park County Sheriff Brad Bichler said during a press conference Tuesday that crews have been able to start looking at just how much damage was done since flooding began. The sheriff’s office has completed at least a dozen rescues, he said.

In Gardiner, several homes along the Yellowstone River have been lost, Bichler said. Whispering Pines, Cooke City and Silvergate have also sustained “extensive damage.” Lisa Lowy, interim Livingston city manager, said the city’s southeast areas saw homes flooding and street damage that remains to be totally assessed.

Now, Bichler said, officers are focused on moving non-local traffic out of Gardiner. Highway 89 opened between Gardiner and Livingston on Tuesday, which he said should help get essential goods into town.

The eight patients housed at Livingston HealthCare on Monday remain at Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber, hospital CEO Deb Anczak said during Tuesday’s press conference. The main campus’ phone system is still down, Anczak said, but an inspection found no water penetrated the facility.

That means that depending on when roads open in the area, the hospital is looking to reopen its emergency department as soon as possible and return to inpatient care. For now, the hospital’s urgent care center on Highway 89 is operational and its Shields Valley Clinic in Wilsall has extra staff on hand to handle walk-ins.

Those who need help or are looking for information in the area, Park County Emergency Manager Greg Coleman said, should call the hotline at (406) 222-4131.

You can also text your zip code to Nixle at 888777 to receive updates by text.

Only call 911 if you have an emergency, Coleman reiterated.

“They’re very busy right now,” he said.

The HRDC in Livingston set up an emergency shelter at its warming center on South Second Street Monday night, and may stay open Tuesday depending on how many people need it. Coleman said to call the hotline if you’re looking for a place to stay.

Offers of help in any form can be directed to 211.

“We’re in for the long haul,” Park County Commissioner Steve Caldwell said. “It’s going to be a long exercise, but I think we’re up to it.”

The Pahaska Tepee Resort ⁠— located outside Cody, just two miles from Yellowstone’s east entrance ⁠— is shuttered through at least Thursday.

The resort boasts cabins, a restaurant, gift shop and outdoor activities. Its oldest lodge was built by U.S. Colonel William Cody (a.k.a. “Buffalo Bill”) himself.

Pahaska was booked at about 90% capacity at the beginning of the week, said Angela Coe, who runs the resort. But rainfall over the weekend caused the North Fork Shoshone River to swell so much, it got into the lodge’s water system, Coe said. Staff shut off the system Monday to prevent it from getting into the resort’s tap, and sent all guests home.

The river’s since receded. Coe said Pahaska Tepee is currently sending water samples to the Wyoming Department of Health in Cheyenne. The water needs to test as safe two days in a row before the lodge can open up again.

If all goes well, the resort will reopen Friday.

But Pahaska Tepee’s guests often come for Yellowstone, Coe said. She doesn’t expect Cody’s tourism business to recover until the park’s southern region reopens, too.

Prospective vacationers aren’t waiting for answers, Coe said. The phones at Pahaska Tepee have been ringing nonstop with cancellations. She emphasized that people are wanting to cancel their July and August reservations.

The Mystic Dam will be releasing water from Mystic Lake to maintain safe water levels within the reservoir, Stillwater County officials announced Tuesday afternoon.

“This action is necessary to maintain safe water levels behind the dam,” a statement from a Stillwater County spokesperson said. “Since the Stillwater and Rosebud River levels have dropped we anticipate little to no impact on the current flooding situation.”

Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a release the park will remain closed at least five more days.

In a release, Sholly said Xanterra’s seasonal employees will be moved from Mammoth and that concession facilities in the northern part of the park at Mammoth and Roosevelt “will not reopen likely the rest of the year.”

• Implement full visitor closure of the backcountry.

• Evaluate needs for backcountry evacuations.

• Improve Old Gardiner Road from Mammoth to the North Entrance and use the road for administrative travel and evacuate visitors.

• Restore power to northern Yellowstone sites and Canyon, Lake and Norris.

• Evacuate Gardiner visitors via the Old Gardiner Road.

• Support Gardiner residents with a resupply of food, water and medicine.

• Support isolated NPS residents at the NE Entrance via aircraft if necessary.

• Support Cooke City residents as needed.

• Mitigate wastewater impacts of destroyed sewer lines in Gardiner and Mammoth.

• Relocate all Mammoth-based concessions employees to properties on the southern loop.

• Halt and redirect any inbound employees hired to work in Mammoth or Tower who haven’t arrived yet.

• Support employees who lost housing in Gardiner.

• Prepare for outside teams to help assess damage.

• Prepare reservation system strategy for southern loop for remainder of the year.

The Teton County Fairgrounds was a landing site for a few dozen displaced Yellowstone campers Monday.

About 38 RVs parked there overnight, according to Trista Hiltbrunner, a staff member at the fairgrounds. Some of them came from inside the park, she said. By noon Tuesday, just a couple remained.

Cities and towns located just outside of Yellowstone were busy Tuesday connecting displaced visitors with lodging, and helping them figure out next steps.

“We really do operate as one,” Rick Howe, vice president of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, said of Yellowstone’s gateway communities.

At this point, the chamber’s mostly getting calls from people who were planning to visit the park this week, and suddenly had nowhere to go, he said.

The chamber extended its phone services by three hours so it could accommodate the rush of calls. It’s now live from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Howe said Jackson is preparing to accept more displaced travelers and evacuees, but is waiting to hear more from park officials.

During a conditions call, Yellowstone National Park officials said the Montana Department of Transportation and the Park County Sheriffs Office opened U.S. Hwy 89 at Yankee Jim Canyon through Bozeman at 35 mph to locals, delivery and service vehicles and outbound visitors, including trailers, at about 11:35 Tuesday morning.

“We cleared visitors from the entire northern end of the park,” said Park Superintendent Cameron Sholly. “There are no visitors in the northern end, currently.”

No injuries or deaths have been recorded from the flooding, Sholly said. The extent of the damage is still unclear. “We’ve kept our teams out of harm’s way,” he said. “We won’t know exactly what the damage looks like until the water goes down.”

The Park Service is still working on evacuating the southern part of the park and making contact with backcountry hikers.

The southern loop, which suffered significantly less damage than the northern loop, can’t handle the full visitation Yellowstone receives, Sholly said. The park is still figuring out when and how the southern entrances will reopen. “That’s still probably a little ways out, and it’ll be some sort of reservation system, likely — a temporary reservation system,” Sholly said.

Park officials said Mammoth and Roosevelt will likely remain closed to visitors for the rest of this year. The Park Service plans to move affected seasonal employees to positions in the southern part of the park.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has issued a “Do Not Consume” order in Gardiner.

This means that water is not safe to drink or cook with. It is safe for washing hands and showering.

Outside of Gardiner residents in Park County are encouraged to contact the Park County health department with questions about wells that maybe compromised or submerged by flooding. Their number is 406-222-4131. 

“If you have a well, and it is submerged by flood water or the water appears to be compromised, the water may not be safe to consume,” Park County officials said in a statement Tuesday. “This is especially true for people who are immunocompromised or an infant.”

According to a Park County press release, “Attempts are currently ongoing to establish one-way traffic in the Valley [to Gardiner]. As yet, there is still no access. Attempts to establish drop points for supply drops in the Valley and in Gardiner and Cooke City are ongoing.”

The press release also stated that, as waters recede, officials will be assessing the damages made to roads and bridges to determine if they are “structurally sound.”

The Montana National Guard evacuated 12 people from the communities of Roscoe and Cooke City on Monday as the flooding cut off vehicle access to the towns. Aircrews from the 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion deployed a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to assist in search and rescue efforts at the request of local law enforcement.

As of Tuesday morning, the Guard unit is conducting a third evacuation operation for recreationalists around East Rosebud Lake.

“We are standing by for additional requests for support,” Maj. Ryan Finnegan, Montana National Guard Public Affairs Officer said. “As local law enforcement requests assistance, we will continue to provide what resources are available.”

A Florida family of eight were plucked by a helicopter from a flooded rental outside Cooke City, at the park’s Northeast Entrance, on Monday after high waters stranded them.

A Cooke City man was air lifted by the National Guard after he suffered hypothermia from cold waters as he self-rescued.

In a Tweet on Monday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a “statewide disaster.”

In a separate post released just before to the disaster Tweet Gianforte stated, “For the last 24 hours, the State Emergency Coordination Center has been working with partners in Carbon, Stillwater, and Park counties to evacuate, ensure shelter, and safely restore power and water in areas impacted by severe flooding.”

Power in Red Lodge was restored and flood levels were declining slightly. Rock Creek was forecast to crest Monday afternoon around 1 p.m., but 80-degree temperatures predicted for later in the week are raising concerns that the tragedy is not yet over.

One day after milk-chocolate flood waters surged through Yellowstone National Park and nearby communities, officials and residents were working to assess the damages as others downstream braced for historically high rivers expected to come Tuesday.

Just after 10 p.m. Monday, people living in a sizable portion of southeast Livingston were required to evacuate due to the rising Yellowstone River, though the order was lifted just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. About a half-hour after the evacuation notice Monday night, the city’s hospital, Livingston HealthCare, closed as the river’s record-high waters crept into its parking lot.

By 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Yellowstone had reached flood stage at Billings, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS forecast the river to crest Tuesday afternoon at 14.7 feet, just three-tenths of a foot shy of the record established in 1997.

Meanwhile, the world’s first national park and the south-central Montana communities of Red Lodge, Gardiner and Fishtail began to further assess damage from unprecedented flooding on the Yellowstone and Stillwater rivers as well as Rock Creek.

Images of damage from the frothing streams continued to emerge Tuesday morning. Celebrating its 150th anniversary during prime tourist season, Yellowstone remained indefinitely closed at all five entrances Tuesday for only the third time in 34 years — most recently in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also for the infamous 1988 fires.

Residents and tourists in Gardiner at Yellowstone’s North Entrance and Silver Gate and Cooke City just outside the Northeast Entrance were stranded due to roads made impassable by high water and damage that could take weeks or even months to repair, park officials said.

Officials on Monday were evacuating those still inside the park, beginning in its northernmost reaches, where the impacts — including road washouts, bridge failures, rockslides and mudslides — were most severe.

YNP employees at park headquarters in Mammoth, who remained without power Tuesday morning, planned to buy groceries and other essentials in West Yellowstone, which announced late Monday that it would permit temporary camping in town for people impacted by the closure. A generator was providing power to Mammoth’s cell tower, enabling communication to the outside world.

Park employees were to convene at 11 a.m. to assess next steps.

The serpentine road from Mammoth to Gardiner in the Gardner River Canyon was badly damaged, as was the road between Tower Junction and the Northeast Entrance where the Lamar River surged well beyond its record flood level.

As of approximately 9 a.m. Tuesday, the park had not provided an update of the situation on its website or social media pages. At this time, the extent of the damage, as well as how many people may be stranded inside the park, is unclear.

The Yellowstone River crested at just over 49,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Corwin Springs in the upper Paradise Valley on Monday, shattering its previous records of 32,200 set in June 1996 and  matched a year later. The Lamar peaked at 16.7 feet Monday, breaking its 1996 record by more than four feet and rising two feet above the gauge’s upper reach.

Near Corwin Springs, a house for Park Service employees was pried loose from its foundation by the raging waters and spun downstream. U.S. Highway 89 was closed just south of Emigrant, not far from where the iconic Carbella bridge leading to Tom Miner Basin was swept away early Monday in the first sign the Yellowstone meant business.

On the flanks of the Beartooth Mountains to the east, residents of Red Lodge, Fishtail and Nye waited for floodwaters to abate. 

Meteorologists said the unprecedented flooding was caused by a convergence of an unseasonably cool spring that retained snowpack, late-spring snowstorms and multiple days of considerable rainfall at high elevations. Parts of the park received more than an inch of rain over 24 hours Monday, more than tripling the previous single-day mark.

Most of the flood damage was centered on YNP and the streams flowing north from the Yellowstone Plateau, including the Gallatin River, which was expected to reach flood stage at Logan about 25 miles of Bozeman in the wee hours Tuesday. On Monday, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s office cautioned residents along low-lying stretches of the West Gallatin to be prepared to evacuate.

Also Monday, the Flathead River at Columbia Falls in northwest Montana surpassed flood stage by a half-foot and was expected to rise another two feet Tuesday. 

Yellowstone’s peak flooding was to push downstream to Big Timber, Columbus, Laurel, Billings and eastern Montana by Tuesday afternoon.

A flood warning for the Boulder River south of Big Timber was lifted Tuesday morning.