In June 2022, the U.S. state of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

was hit by heavy, damaging floods in multiple major watersheds including the

Yellowstone River The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the Western United States. Considered the principal tributary of upper Missouri, via its own tributaries it drains an area with headwaters across the mountains an ...

. Heavy rain and melting snow over the weekend June 10–13 caused large areas of

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

to be evacuated. On June 14, the water plant in

Billings Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metrop ...

was temporarily shut down. Many houses were damaged as a result, and a number of roads and bridges were destroyed by floodwaters. The

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

said that heavy rain on top of melting mountain snow pushed the

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

, Stillwater and Clarks Fork rivers to record levels and triggered rock and mudslides. The

Montana National Guard The Montana National Guard consists of the Montana Army National Guard, and the Montana Air National Guard. Structure and mission When National Guard troops are called to federal service, the President serves as Commander-in-Chief. The federa ...

said that 87 people had been airlifted by helicopter to safety. Cities and towns affected include Gardiner, Fromberg,

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

, Red Lodge. On Monday, June 13 Governor

Greg Gianforte Gregory Richard Gianforte (born April 17, 1961) is an American businessman, politician, software engineer, and writer serving as the 25th governor of Montana since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Gianforte served as the U.S. representa ...

verbally authorized Lt Governor

Kristen Juras Kristen Juras (née Gustafson; born October 16, 1955) is an American businesswoman, attorney, law professor, and politician serving as the 37th lieutenant governor of Montana. A Republican, Juras was first elected in November 2020 and assumed o ...

to declare a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

. Governor Gianforte was vacationing in Italy, and returned Thursday, June 16. On June 16, the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Montana. On June 18, it was reported that heavier flooding is expected to reach

and other areas in

Eastern Montana Eastern Montana is a loosely defined region of Montana. Some definitions are more or less inclusive than others, ranging from the most inclusive, which would include the entire part of the state east of the Continental Divide, to the least inclusiv ...

. The flooding so far has reportedly caused $29 million in damage.

Multiple watersheds impacted

Yellowstone River headwaters

Carbella Bridge (2013) - Park County, Montana

The

Carbella Bridge The Carbella Bridge was a historic bridge near Gardiner, Montana, Gardiner, Montana crossing the Yellowstone River in National Register of Historic Places listings in Park County, Montana, Park County. The bridge carried U.S. Route 89 in Montana, ...

, which crossed the Yellowstone River was destroyed.

Stillwater River

Homes near Absarokee were threatened when the Stillwater River flooded, eroding the riverbanks. Extensive flooding of the river also affected Nye and

Fishtail Fishtail may refer to: Biology *The rearmost fish fin or caudal fin * Fishtail palm (genus ''Caryota'') Transportation *Fishtailing, a problem in car handling * Fishtail Air, a helicopter airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal Places *Fishtail ...

Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone

On June 13, Rock Creek, a tributary of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone, flooded Red Lodge, Montana damaging roads, bridges and buildings.

Missouri River headwaters

Fishing Access Sites along the

Madison River The Madison River is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 183 miles (295 km) long, in Wyoming and Montana. Its confluence with the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana forms the Missouri River. The ...

near

Ennis, Montana Ennis is a town in Madison County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 917 at the 2020 census. U.S. Route 287 runs through town, following the Madison River as it descends from the town of West Y ...

and several roads near tributary creeks were closed due to flooding in the Madison River watershed. The

Ruby River The Ruby River is a tributary of the Beaverhead River, approximately 76 mi (122 km) long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in the Beaverhead National Forest in southwestern Madison County between the Snowcrest ...

in the

Jefferson River The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three For ...

watershed experienced flooding, closing roads above and below

Ruby Reservoir A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called s ...

near

Alder, Montana Alder is a census-designated place (CDP) in Madison County, Montana, United States. The population was 86 at the 2020 census. The community takes its name from Alder Creek (named by Henry Edgar in 1863), the site of the second major gold disco ...

Flathead River

A 43-year-old man was killed in a rafting incident on the

Flathead River The Flathead River ( fla, label=Salish, člq̓etkʷ ntx̣ʷetkʷ, , kut, kananmituk), in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana, originates in the Canadian Rockies to the north of Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Flath ...

on June 21. High water levels and debris have reportedly made the river dangerous.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone flood event 2022- North Entrance Road washout

Yellowstone flood event 2022- Rescue Creek Bridge washed away

On June 14, 2022, Yellowstone National Park shut down all of its entrances, and began evacuation of approximately 10,000 visitors currently in the park. The National Park Service had stated that many parts, including the North part of Yellowstone, would be closed for "a substantial length of time".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montana floods, 2022 2022 in Montana Yellowstone National Park June 2022 events in the United States 2022 natural disasters in the United States 2022 floods Floods in Montana 2020s floods in North America