Yellowstone disaster: record rainfall, massive flooding and mudslides

As Yellowstone National Park celebrates 150 years, emergency crews are scrambling to reopen roads and facilities following heavy rain and huge flooding

This is Yellowstone’s first natural disaster and has forced the region to close during the peak summer period.

Tourists and residents are being evacuated from the area as some roads have been destroyed leaving visitors stranded.

Resulting in a major blow to local tourism operators and surrounding communities. 

Montana, one of the three states the park belongs to, has not seen this type of flooding in more than a century.

The national park’s northern half is expected to remain shut for at least the rest of the season, with Montana’s governor declaring a statewide disaster. 

Record rainfall has triggered epic flooding, mudslides and rockfalls in Yellowstone.

Dangerous rockslides caused the park officials to shut down all five entrances to the park on Tuesday.

It follows one of the wettest springs in years and a sudden spike in summer temperatures, meaning the runoff of snow from the winter months has been quite intense. 

Danaya Malenda contributed to this report.