A windstorm at Yellowstone National Park downed hundreds of trees and damaged multiple buildings and cars
Clean-up efforts are underway at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming after a major windstorm blew across the southern portion of the park Monday, knocking down hundreds of trees, park officials said.
Strong winds and rain bombarded the park’s Lake Village area, though no serious injuries have been reported, according to a news release from the park. Falling trees struck multiple buildings and vehicles, and at least one building and three cabins were evacuated and remain closed for cleanup and repairs.
During the storm, the hotel and clinic lost power for 24 hours, the news release said. Campgrounds and roads had to be cleared of debris.
“Monday night’s storm event hit the Lake area very hard,” Yellowstone superintendent Cam Sholly said. “The National Park Service team and our partners quickly stabilized the situation and got recovery efforts started immediately.”
The “several hundred” trees torn down by the storm were in areas around Lake Hotel, Lake Lodge, Lake Medical Clinic and Lake General Store, as well as near Lake employee housing areas and Bridge Bay Campground and marina, according to the news release.
On Monday night, the National Weather Service reported a 73-mph wind gust in Teton County, which is home to a large portion of the park.
Yellowstone officials estimate that clean-up efforts from the storm damage will continue into next week.