Officials Warn Residents Of ‘Unsafe’ Drinking Water, Wildlife Spotting After Historic Yellowstone Flooding

Officials are assessing damage after the historic flooding at Yellowstone earlier this week that forced the closure of Yellowstone National Park. Authorities have warned of “unsafe” drinking water in surrounding areas as well as the potential passing of displaced wildlife in some properties.

In a Facebook post, officials of Park County in Montana said extensive flooding throughout the county resulted in drinking water becoming “unsafe in many areas.” While the river near Livingston and Paradise Valley has since receded, scattered showers could still cause “a resurgence of water flow,” they said. Furthermore, several bears and deer have been spotted in some areas. “Residents should be advised that displaced wildlife may be passing through properties,” the authorities added.

It is worth noting that part of Yellowstone National Park is located in the southern part of Park County.

Officials at Gardiner have issued a “do not consume Gardiner drinking water” order since Monday afternoon due to submerged wells and a broken water main. The order has not yet been lifted as of writing. Residents and visitors going to the Livingston Hospital have been advised to go to Bozeman for hospital emergencies or check-ins. Livingston Hospital is closed until further notice.

Evacuating visitors and residents have been advised to use Highway 89 S. and East River Road, which is located north of Gardiner. For evacuees, a 35 mph speed limit has been set.

In its latest update, the National Park Service noted that all entrances to the Yellowstone National Park “remain temporarily CLOSED” as a precautionary measure “to prevent visitors from being stranded in the park if conditions worsen.” The park closed all five entrances Monday for the first time in 34 years.

The Yellowstone River reached 10.9 feet Monday, exceeding its own record of 10.7 feet in 1997, according to the National Weather Services (NWS) in Billings, CNN reported. The NWS previously said snowmelt moving toward streams and rivers as well as increased rain around Yellowstone National Park added to the floodwaters.

On Tuesday, a video showed the moment an entire building fell into the Yellowstone River after the deck gave in to strong currents. Another video with nearly 2 million views showed large parts of roads on the park’s North Entrance crumbling into the water.

As of Tuesday, more than 10,000 visitors have been ordered to leave Yellowstone, the Associated Press reported. Roads to the park are expected to remain closed for up to a week, park superintendent Cam Sholly said. Northern entrances in particular may be closed throughout summer, she added.

The Yellowstone National Park celebrated 150 years in March. The multi-million-acre park is home to 25 landmarks, sites and districts included on the National Register of Historic Places.