Gardiner residents and travelers trapped after floods shut down exits

The flooding was caused by rain falling on snowpack, turning what would’ve been several days’ worth of snowmelt into a few hours of rushing water, the Park County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Monday Facebook post.

Mudslides and rock slides piled onto already waterlogged U.S. Highway 89, forcing the road to be closed. The road between Gardiner and Yellowstone's headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, was shut down due to rock and water damage to the narrow cliff-side road, eliminating the other primary route north out of Gardiner.

Even if the roads weren’t officially closed, most wouldn’t be able to be driven through the several feet of water rushing over the pavement. Resigned to staying in one place, many travelers have lined the Gardiner streets with their cars, campers and motor homes.

Fly shop owner and Gardiner local Richard Parks said he’s never seen the river this high — and he’s been in Gardiner since 1953. He said he watched 60-foot-trees float down the river and was reminded of the historic destructive floods of 1918.

“It’s one heck of a pile of water out there,” Parks said. Even after the roads clear of water, they may not be in usable condition, he said.

U.S. Highway 89 closed at Yankee Jim Canyon on Monday morning because there was 3 feet of water over the road.

Parts of East River Road southeast of Emigrant also closed because of flooding and much of the Yellowstone River flowing through Park County was either at or near flooding.

The Park County Sheriff's Office said late Monday afternoon in a Facebook post that evacuations and rescues were going on throughout the county.

“The state is coordinating with local officials,” Montana’s Department of Military Affairs said. The department deals with emergency services and the National Guard, and it said it’s been exploring options for transport and evacuation.

Additionally, there’s concern about the safety of water. While Gardiner residents were first advised to boil tap water before using it, they were told Monday afternoon that boiling may not be enough to make it safe.

The town of more than 900 residents plus hundreds of traveling tourists is facing what could be days without the freedom to travel out of town, and many are doing what they can to prepare.

Rebecca Demaree, owner of Gardiner Market, the only grocery store in town, said she saw more sales in her first five hours Monday than she’d seen in the store’s lifetime. When the road closures were announced, a massive rush of people came to buy kitchen staples like bread, chicken, ground beef and ready-to-eat meals. Typical camp sales like hot dogs and paper plates have also shot up, she said.

Demaree said many local restaurants were expecting a delivery within 24 hours of the road closures, so they’ve been buying out of the grocery store, too. Demaree herself was expecting a milk delivery Tuesday morning.

“No way,” Demaree said and laughed. “That’s not happening anymore.”

While the Gardiner Market may be running low on bread, Demaree isn’t too worried people will go hungry. By her estimate, everyone who would need food arrived in the five-hour rush, and the closed roads mean no new mouths will arrive any time soon. Plans are in place to possibly airlift food into a small airport nearby, and they have a large stockpile of reserve food they plan to restock shelves with, she said.

The other question some tourists are facing is where they’ll sleep. Nancy Parks, wife of Richard Parks and owner of Gardiner Guest House B&B, said she had guests return after they faced rock slides and downed power lines on the road. They, like many other guests at Gardiner, will be continuing their stay until they find a safe way to leave.

However, those who planned to camp their way through town are facing different troubles. One person on a Gardiner Facebook page asked where he could set up a tent until the roads reopen.

Despite the chaos and surrealism, Demaree said the town is trying to hold itself together, thinking of community members who helped her bag groceries during the rush.

Richard Parks agreed, saying many have no choice but to grin and bear it.

“It’s not the government’s fault or the Russian’s fault or your in-law’s fault,” Parks said. “Jumping up and down and swearing isn’t going to do anything."

Bill Berg, a Park County Commissioner, said Monday that there are limited emergency responders in Gardiner, with both ways in and out of Gardiner shut off.

The Gateway Hose Company — Gardiner's volunteer fire and ambulance service — had already been “up for hours already.”

“But that’s what we got for ambulance services with Mammoth cut off,” Berg said. “I don’t know if we have the ability to respond at all. We’re a little bit vulnerable in that regard as well.”