Yellowstone’s historic floods 1 year later: Tourists return and rebuild continues

Name: Visitor numbers are up a year after Yellowstone flooding
Uploaded: 2023-06-13T12:41:24-04:00
Duration: 3 min 5 s
Description: Director of Sales and Marketing for Yellowstone National Park Lodges Rick Hoeninghausen says visitors are returning this year after historic flooding closed the park last June. Hoeninghausen describes moving guests and employees out of harms way during the flooding event.

One year after historic Yellowstone National Park flooding recovery continues

FOX Weather correspondent Robert Ray spoke to Yellowstone National Park superintendent about rebuilding one year after historic flooding wiped out roads and caused evacuations.

GARDINER, Mont. – A year after more than a foot of rain created devastating flooding in Yellowstone National Park, the visitors have returned, and local businesses are bouncing back. But the recovery continues.

Over the 48-hour period between June 12-13, 2022, rivers and streams swelled well beyond flood stages as heavy rain dropped more than a foot of water. In combination with snowmelt, the water created epic flooding and mudslides.

FOX Weather correspondent Robert Ray spoke to Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly one year after the flooding wiped out roads and caused thousands to be evacuated.

A map showing the rain that led to the June 2022 flooding in Yellowstone National Park. (FOX Weather)

"This is about a 750-foot section that we lost during the flood event last June; we lost 4 or 5 sections," Sholly said, standing in front of a missing chunk of road. "The engineers looked at this quickly and determined it was not repairable."

In this handout photo provided by the National Park Service, tree logs pile up on a washed-out bridge as water levels rise near Rescue Creek on June 13, 2022, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (National Park Service )

In this aerial view, flooding is seen on June 14, 2022, in Livingston, Montana. The Yellowstone River hit has a historic high flow from rain and snow melt from the mountains in and around Yellowstone National Park. (William Campbell)

(Yellowstone National Park)

Flooding and rockslides have closed entrances to Yellowstone National Park. (Yellowstone National Park)

Historic flooding has been reported along the Yellowstone River in Montana. (Commissioner John Ostlund/Yellowstone County)

'IT WAS JUST INSANE': HISTORIC FLOOD SWALLOWS HOUSING UNIT ALONG RAGING YELLOWSTONE RIVER

The flooding washed away homes in the nearby town of Gardiner, Montana, and the park visitors the city depends on for business were gone for months during recovery efforts. More than 4 million people visit Yellowstone National Park every year, and the flooding closed key roads visitors use to traverse the park's geography.

"You never know what weather and other things are going to deliver to you, and we found out the cost last year," Richard Parks of Parks Fly Shop told FOX Weather.

Visitor numbers are up a year after Yellowstone flooding

Director of Sales and Marketing for Yellowstone National Park Lodges Rick Hoeninghausen says visitors are returning this year after historic flooding closed the park last June. Hoeninghausen describes moving guests and employees out of harms way during the flooding event.

Kayla Kernes, of Ridge Line Hotel, said the loss of business was devastating.

"Gardiner thrives on the hundreds of thousands of people that come through here every summer," Kernes said.

In October 2022, an alternative road reopened the park's north entrance to visitors and with it, tourism returned to Gardiner.

One year later, Sholly said there is still a lot of work to do in Yellowstone as engineers work to restore access and find permanent solutions.

"People are back in, these entrances are open and they are back in the park and that's good," Sholly said. "But we have a lot of work to do figuring out what the long-term solution is for these road corridors."