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Windstorm Batters Yellowstone National Park

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Published Date

July 5, 2023

A windstorm Monday downed hundreds of trees around the Lake area of Yellowstone National Park/NPS, Cam Sholly

A powerful windstorm raked the southern half of Yellowstone National Park, downing hundreds of trees and knocking out commercial power for about a day.

The storm Monday evening slammed trees into buildings around the Lake Yellowstone developed area, forced the evacuation of three cabins and a building adjacent to Lake Hotel, and knocked out power to the hotel and medical clinic for rougly 24 hours, a park release said Wednesday. No injuries were reported.

“Monday night’s storm event hit the Lake area very hard,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “The National Park Service team and our partners quickly stabilized the situation and got recovery efforts started immediately.”

There were no reported issues involving backcountry travelers.

The following information includes details about how the storm impacted the Lake Village area and the ongoing cleanup efforts.

Monday, July 3

  • During the storm, several hundred trees were blown down throughout the area including around the Lake Hotel, Lake Lodge, Lake Medical Clinic, Lake General Store, Lake employee housing areas and Bridge Bay Campground and marina.
  • Multiple buildings and vehicles were struck by trees including a building that is adjacent to the Lake Hotel. This building and three cabins were evacuated and remain closed for cleanup and repairs.
  • The hotel and clinic lost commercial power for approximately 24 hours.
  • Crews cleared trees from roads, campgrounds and critical infrastructure.

Tuesday, July 4

  • Crews continued to clear trees from roads, campgrounds and critical infrastructure.
  • Crews also spent the day doing damage assessments and cleaning up the area.
  • Power was restored to the area in the evening.

Wednesday, July 5

  • Bridge Bay Campground and marina remains without power.

Cleanup efforts were expected to continue into next week.

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