Yellowstone flooding, damage closes national park, forces ...

GARDINER, Mont. – Yellowstone National Park officials assessed widespread damage Tuesday as the park remained closed amid dangerous floods, mudslides and rockslides that have eroded roads, ripped apart bridges and forced evacuations this week.

The water started to slowly recede Tuesday and one key highway reopened, but the record-level floods left all five entrances to the park closed through at least Wednesday, officials said. And, officials said during an update on Tuesday, the water levels could still change at any time.

“The water is still raging,” said Park Superintendent Cam Sholly, who added that more wet weather was forecast this weekend, which could cause additional flooding.

The park, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, has seen multiple road and bridge failures, power outages and mudslides, causing the evacuations of more than 10,000 visitors from the park.

“I’ve never seen this, not in my lifetime,” said Austin King, a firefighter and EMT in Gardiner, a town just outside Yellowstone's busy northern entrance.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, but floodwaters swept away a number of homes, bridges and other structures. The northern part of the park suffered the worst damage.

The full scope of the damage was not known Tuesday, leaving it unclear when roads might reopen or when residents in neighboring communities might be able to return.

The northern loop of Yellowstone National Park was cleared of visitors and park officials were working to evacuate visitors in the southern area of the park Tuesday. Park staff were searching for five back-country groups to ensure they were safely evacuated.

Meanwhile, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster and said the Montana National Guard rescued 12 people stranded by high waters in Roscoe and Cooke City.

YELLOWSTONE CLOSED:Yellowstone National Park evacuates visitors

MORE:Home swept away as Yellowstone is hit by major floods and mudslides

Highways reopen as floodwaters recede

The Yellowstone River reached highs of almost 14 feet on Monday, far higher than the record 11.5 feet set more than a century ago, according the the National Weather Service.

Although the water was still "extremely" high, a route out of Gardiner, a town of about 900 people, reopened Tuesday afternoon, according to county Commissioner Bill Berg and Sholly.

Visitors could drive out using U.S. Highway 89 and East River Road, but only residents and service vehicles were allowed to drive back inside. While some residents questioned if they could wait a few days before leaving town, Berg and Sholly were adamant: “Get out of Gardiner.”

"We are working with the county and state of Montana to provide necessary support to residents, who are currently without water and power in some areas," Yellowstone officials said Monday.

A smaller highway into the previously isolated Cooke City also reopened to local traffic and emergency services Tuesday afternoon.

Yellowstone communities left stranded, without power

The flooding left some of Yellowstone's small gateway communities in southern Montana isolated and without power, leading to evacuations by boat and helicopter.

Floodwaters isolated areas including Silvergate, which is east of the park, and led to evacuations in Livingston. As Stillwater River in south-central Montana flooded, 68 people were stranded at a campground as crews rescued campers by raft.

Officials in Park County, which encompasses those cities, issued shelter-in-place orders Monday and warned flooding had made drinking water unsafe in many communities. Residents hauled bottled water home from stores and worried about a possible food shortage.

Many in Gardiner have used only bottled water to brush their teeth, wash dishes and prepare food due to a break in the area's main water service line. The community was under an advisory to boil water before consumption as of Tuesday afternoon.

The county said water and air rescues were underway amid evacuations Monday.

"Extensive flooding throughout Park County has washed out bridges, roads, and left communities and homes isolated," Park County said in a statement.

A 10-person bunker was among the buildings that slipped from the riverbank into the water. Only a portion of the building's foundation remained Tuesday.

Parker Manning, who was visiting from Terre Haute, Indiana, watched the flooding from a cabin in Gardiner. He said he saw trees and a mostly intact house floating in rushing waters.

In the south-central Montana town of Joliet, Kristan Apodaca cried as she watched floodwaters overtake her grandmother's log cabin and the park where her husband proposed.

"I am sixth-generation," she told the Billings Gazette. "This is our home."

King, the EMT in Gardiner, said the flooding was "damaging for a lot of people."

"Some have lost their houses; others can’t go to work," King said. "People are worried about food shortages already."

YELLOWSTONE NEWS:National park renames mountain named for officer in Native American massacre

When will Yellowstone reopen?

Yellowstone officials have prohibited visitors from entering the park at any of its five entrances until at least Wednesday.

Sholly said the park could remain closed as long as a week, and northern entrances may not reopen at all this summer.

Cory Mottice, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Billings, Montana, said reduced rain and cooler temperatures, which could lead to decreased snowmelt, may lessen flooding.

Still, "this is flooding that we’ve just never seen in our lifetimes before," Mottice said.

Why is Yellowstone flooding?

Record rainfall combined with rapidly melting snowpack caused the deluge of flooding this week. Scientists pointed to climate change as the culprit behind more intense and frequent weather events.

The flooding happened as the summer tourist season was ramping up. June is one of the park's busiest months.

'This is serious': Millions under heat wave warnings as triple-digit temps move east

What state is Yellowstone National Park in?

The world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park encompasses nearly 3,500 square miles on top of a volcanic hot spot. The park lies mostly in Wyoming but spreads into Montana and Idaho.

The park allows visitors "to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River," according to the Yellowstone's website.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

Hannah Phillips of The Palm Beach Post reported from Gardiner, Montana.

YOU MAY LIKE:A first in Yellowstone, as man in Tesla proves his ‘ingenuity’

Yellowstone National Park closes entrances after 'unprecedented' rain

GARDINER, Mont. — Yellowstone National Park indefinitely closed all entrances and began evacuating some visitors on Monday after heavy rains led to flooding and rockslides that washed out roads and at least one bridge.

Visitors in the northern part of the park were being evacuated due to "extremely hazardous conditions" following "unprecedented" rainfall, according to a news release.

"Effective immediately, there will be no inbound visitor traffic at any of the five entrances into Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15, at a minimum," the release said.

LATEST UPDATES:Yellowstone National Park damaged by record flooding, dangerous rockslides

Power was also out throughout the park, as well as in Gardiner, Montana.

Numerous park-owned structures, including a 10-person bunkhouse, have been swept into the water after the riverbank gave way beneath them, said Austin King, a firefighter, and EMT in Gardiner. He woke at 1 a.m. Monday to the sound of his pager beeping and hasn’t stopped working since.

"I’ve never seen this, not in my lifetime," said King Monday evening. "There are people that have lived here 64 years — they’ve never seen the river this high."

A few wood planks remained where the bunkhouse once stood behind him. All of its occupants escaped with few of their possessions, King said.

He fielded questions from tourists who lined up along the side of the road, anxious to know when they might leave Gardiner. Roads leading in and out of the town were all closed as of Monday evening.

"It’s pretty damaging for a lot of people," King said. "Some have lost their houses; others can’t go to work. People are worried about food shortages already."

There is no hospital or clinic in Gardiner, he added. Anyone with a medical emergency will need to be evacuated by helicopter.

More evacuations of visitors were planned through the day, Park Superintendent Cam Sholly said in the release.

"Due to predictions of higher flood levels in areas of the park’s southern loop, in addition to concerns with water and wastewater systems, we will begin to move visitors in the southern loop out of the park later today in coordination with our in-park business partners," he said.

FIRST PEOPLES MOUNTAIN:Yellowstone National Park renames mountain named for officer in Native American massacre

CLIMATE POINT: Subscribe to USA TODAY’s free weekly newsletter on climate change, the environment and the weather

Sholly added, "We will not know timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we're able to assess the damage throughout the park. It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time."

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Monday for Yellowstone, where rain was forecast to fall into the evening before turning to snow in the overnight hours.

'THIS IS SERIOUS HEAT':Millions under heat wave warnings as triple-digit temps move east

The rains hit right as summer tourist season was ramping up. June, at the onset of an annual wave of over 3 million visitors that doesn’t abate until fall, is one of Yellowstone’s busiest months.

Yellowstone got 2.5 inches of rain Saturday, Sunday and into Monday. The Beartooth Mountains northeast of Yellowstone got as much as 4 inches, according to the NWS.

“It’s a lot of rain, but the flooding wouldn’t have been anything like this if we didn’t have so much snow,” said Cory Mottice, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings, Montana. “This is flooding that we’ve just never seen in our lifetimes before.”

Contributing: Hannah Phillips, The Palm Beach Post; The Associated Press

Unprecedented flooding conditions force Yellowstone park to close ...

(CNN) Yellowstone National Park will remain closed to visitors through at least Wednesday due to dangerous flooding conditions, which have prompted park evacuations and left some in surrounding communities trapped without safe drinking water, officials say.

A Montana helicopter company transported about 40 people on Monday and Tuesday from a community airstrip in the town of Gardiner in Park County, Laura Jones of Rocky Mountain Rotors told CNN.

"We haven't 'rescued' anyone that was in danger, we have mainly been transporting people out of there," Jones said via email. "We have also taken some passengers in who had pets they needed to get to or live there and needed to get home."

The park announced Monday afternoon that all park entrances were closed to visitors, citing "record flooding events" and a forecast of more rain to come.

The abundant rainfall and rapid snowmelt combined to produce up to three-quarters of a foot of water runoff, which is similar to the area receiving 2 to 3 months of June precipitation in only three days, according to CNN Weather calculations.

"Our first priority has been to evacuate the northern section of the park where we have multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides and other issues," Yellowstone Park Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement Monday.

"Well over 10,000 visitors" were in the park, according to Sholly, who said at a news conference Monday he didn't have an exact number, but average visitation in June can be between 15,000 and 20,000 people.

A road in Yellowstone National Park partially collapsed due to flooding Monday.

Immediately north of the Yellowstone, several cities in Montana's Park County were also experiencing extensive flooding, which has washed out bridges and roads, making it unsafe to travel or impossible to evacuate, Park County officials said on Facebook

Officials have also issued warnings in many areas for residents to avoid drinking local water due to a broken water main and submerged wells.

The Park County town of Gardiner, located at the northern entrance to Yellowstone, is isolated and surrounded by water after heavy flooding washed out bridges and roads, county officials said on Facebook on Tuesday.

Damage from flooding in the town is "significant," Park County Sheriff Brad Bichler said Tuesday.

"The water's coming down and it's kind of showing us exactly what kind of damage we're dealing with," Bichler said at a news conference.

Sholly told reporters Tuesday evening that the road between Gardiner and Cooke City will likely remain closed for the remainder of the season. He said no damage estimates are yet available.

"This is not going to be an easy rebuild," Sholly said, referring the five-mile stretch of road most affected by the flooding. He said officials will have to assess whether it make sense to rebuild the road in that area.

Gardiner is a hub of activity in the region and the only entrance that remained open to wheeled-vehicle use year-round, according to the town website.

CNN tried to contact Park County officials to confirm how many people are affected but has been unable to reach them.

Many roads and bridges are inaccessible, along with some railroad tracks. A few roads and bridges remain open to emergency traffic. The National Guard and local rescue groups were conducting evacuations, water rescues and airlifts.

Officials on Tuesday warned residents that displaced wildlife could traverse their properties, with bears, deer and domestic livestock already spotted.

"The river has never been this high before by my house," said Elizabeth Aluck, who lives in Gardiner. Aluck told CNN Monday afternoon that she cannot evacuate because the roads and bridges around her home are washed out.

An Indiana family staying at a short-term rental cabin in Gardiner told CNN they were supposed to leave Monday morning, but the flooding left them stranded.

"The water levels were high on Saturday but within the past 10 to 12 hours things have gotten rougher," Parker Manning said. "Our way out of town would be north on 89, but those roads are currently all underwater."

JUST WATCHED See the severe flooding that shut down Yellowstone National Park Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH See the severe flooding that shut down Yellowstone National Park 01:15

The Yellowstone River, which runs through the park and several Park County cities, swelled to a record high Monday due to recent heavy rainfall and significant runoff from melting snow in higher elevations, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.

The Yellowstone River gauge at Corwin Springs, Montana, reached 13.88 feet Monday afternoon, surpassing the historical high crest of 11.5 feet from 1918, NOAA river gauge data shows.

Governor declares statewide disaster

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a "statewide disaster" on Tuesday "to help impacted communities get back on their feet as soon as possible," according to a Twitter post.

Snow melt and rainfall across the Beartooths and Absarokas -- which span the Montana-Wyoming border -- have led to "flooding rarely or never seen before across many area rivers and streams," the National Weather Service in Billings said on its on website.

The Montana National Guard had evacuated 12 people stranded from flooding in Roscoe and Cooke City, the governor said in a separate Twitter post. The National Guard said it also was responding to a search and rescue request in the East Rosebud Lake area.

Several roads and bridges are severely damaged in southern Montana and may be temporarily closed, according to an tweet from Montana's Disaster and Emergency Services.

Across the nation in recent days, extreme weather events have battered communities, including thunderstorms that left nearly 300,000 customers without power in the Midwest, a tornado threat in Chicago, and a severe heat dome which has left more than a third of the US population under heat alerts.

A large rockslide on North Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park Monday.

Some are evacuated while others remain trapped

As several roads and bridges were rendered impassable by floodwaters, park and county officials in Montana worked to evacuate whoever they can and provide support to those who are unable to leave.

The National Guard and local search and rescue teams were assisting with evacuations and rescues throughout the county, including two air lifts and one swift water rescue, the county said.

JUST WATCHED Video shows Yellowstone River flooding take out part of waterfront home Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Video shows Yellowstone River flooding take out part of waterfront home 00:25

Multiple communities in Park County were isolated and surrounded by water, including Gardiner, Cooke City and Silver Gate, an update on the county Facebook page said. Quickly rushing floodwaters have also damaged homes, as images show houses either partially or fully collapsing.

In neighboring Carbon County, Montana, flooding compromised utility service lines, leaving many customers in Red Lodge without power, officials said.

Meanwhile, several roads and bridges in Yellowstone have also been compromised by flooding, park officials say. Videos released by the park show portions of paved road washed out or severely eroded.

A bridge at Rescue Creek in Yellowstone National Park was washed out by rushing waters.

Due to predictions of higher flood levels and concerns about water and wastewater systems, the park also began moving visitors out of the southern loop of the park Monday, Sholly said.

"We will not know timing of the park's reopening until flood waters subside and we're able to assess the damage throughout the park," Sholly said. "It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time."

Dramatic increase in rain strengthens floodwaters

In June, precipitation across northwestern Wyoming and southern Montana has been more that 400% of the region's average, according to Miller.

The dramatic increase in rain has been coupled with near-record temperatures in the region that have caused snowmelt in areas of high elevation, the NWS in Riverton, Wyoming, said. Overnight Sunday, the snowmelt made its way into streams and rivers, further adding to the floodwaters, the NWS said.

In addition to the record set at Corwin Springs, the Yellowstone River reached 10.9 feet in Livingston, Montana, Monday exceeding the area's 1997 record of 10.7 feet, the NWS in Billings said.

Elizabeth Wolfe
Claudia Dominguez
Ray Sanchez

Yellowstone flooding recedes as tourists evacuate. What's the ...

GARDINER, Mont. – On a typical day, helicopter pilot Mark Taylor might fly tourists or professional photographers above national parks in the West, scouting for wildlife and offering a birds-eye view of the mountains, geysers and waterfalls.

But when historic flooding hit Yellowstone National Park this week, Taylor sprang into action and helped dozens evacuate from towns that couldn't be evacuated by road. Park County law enforcement reached out to his Montana-based company, Rocky Mountain Rotors, about a helicopter, and — by the "Montana way of a handshake agreement" — he agreed.

"There's just no questions asked," Taylor told USA TODAY in an interview Wednesday. "We just go do the work and provide whatever helicopter services that they need."

After offering his services, the phones were inundated with travelers and residents eager to quickly vacate the Yellowstone area as floodwaters swept away homes, eroded roads, ripped apart bridges and left some stranded. Entire towns were temporarily isolated without a way out after roads closed or were demolished by rushing water.

The flooding continued to devastate the area Wednesday with rushing water reaching Montana's largest city. The floodwaters in Billings, which boasts a population of 110,000, flooded farms and ranches and caused the shutdown of the area's water treatment plant, although the city reported improvement at the plant on Wednesday evening.

'Nothing that we have ever seen'

Many who called were in Gardiner, a town of about 900 people just north of Yellowstone. People there were isolated for more than a day before roads reopened. Many were tourists, some with medical issues, who didn't want to risk waiting for the Montana National Guard, which has rescued at least 87 people, according to the Department of Defense. Over the course of two days, Taylor was hired to pick up about 40 people from the local airport, including a cancer patient, two pregnant women, and a man who recently had a stroke.

As Taylor flew around Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding communities, he watched debris, including huge pieces of houses, timber and even 1000-gallon propane tanks, float downstream as a river ate up massive swaths of land.

"It was obvious that this flood was like nothing that we have ever seen," he said.

Yellowstone National Park flooding: Waters 'still raging'; more than 10,000 visitors evacuated: What we know

Almost all the tourists in Yellowstone National Park — more than 10,000 — were evacuated as historic levels of flooding forced the park to close earlier this week. The only tourists remaining Wednesday were a dozen campers making their way out of the back-country.

Officials were working Wednesday to repair damaged infrastructure and prepared for more wet weather over the weekend. The park could remain closed for a week after the floods damaged roads, bridges and homes, Superintendent Cam Sholly said Tuesday. Sholly said additional flooding was possible over the weekend.

No injuries or deaths have been reported amid the devastation. Roads were starting to reopen and some evacuated residents in Park County were allowed back into their homes Tuesday.

"We're really, really, really thankful that there wasn't a river drowning," Taylor said. "When we're called out, it's not always a happy ending and usually lives are lost."

Residents in Yellowstone communities assess damage

The full impact of the flooding, mudslides and rockslides is not yet known, but the northern part of the park and the smaller communities that border it suffered some of the worst damage.

In Red Lodge, a town of 2,100 that’s a popular jumping-off point for a scenic route into the Yellowstone high country, a creek running through town jumped its banks and swamped the main thoroughfare.

The water toppled telephone poles, knocked over fences and carved deep fissures in the ground through a neighborhood of hundreds of houses. Electricity was restored by Tuesday, but there was still no running water in the area.

Taylor is planning to fly a small group to an area near Red Lodge this week to seal up cabins and get rid of food to prevent bears from entering the properties.

At least 200 homes were flooded in Red Lodge and the town of Fromberg, including Heidi Hoffman's. She left early Monday to buy a sump pump, which can be used to pump water out of a home. But by the time she returned, her basement was full of water.

“We lost all our belongings in the basement,” Hoffman said as the pump removed a steady stream of water into her muddy backyard. “Yearbooks, pictures, clothes, furniture. We're going to be cleaning up for a long time.”

Residents in Park County hauled bottled water home from stores as concerns mounted over a possible food shortage due to blocked routes making deliveries difficult. As Stillwater River in south-central Montana flooded, 68 people were stranded at a campground as crews rescued campers by raft.

Silver Gate, a community just northeast of the park, is now the only town inaccessible by road, according to Park County officials.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster Tuesday and was seeking an expedited presidential disaster declaration to help cover the cost of repair.

The Yellowstone River reached highs of almost 14 feet on Monday, far higher than the record 11.5 feet set more than a century ago, according the the National Weather Service.

Record rainfall combined with rapidly melting snowpack caused the deluge of flooding this week. Scientists pointed to climate change as the culprit behind more intense and frequent weather events.

The flooding comes as the summer tourist season was ramping up. June is one of the busiest months for the park, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

The world's first national park, Yellowstone National Park encompasses nearly 3,500 square miles on top of a volcanic hot spot.

The park, which stretches across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, previously closed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Sholly said he didn't believe the park had ever closed for flooding.

What to know if you're hoping to visit Yellowstone National Park

People planning to visit in weeks ahead are being advised to stay abreast of road and weather conditions due to the severe damage.

The northern portion of the park, which features popular sites like Tower Fall, Mammoth Hot Springs and the Lamar Valley, may not reopen for the summer tourist season and is "likely to remain closed for a substantial length of time due to severely damaged, impacted infrastructure," park officials said in a statement.

Some parts of the park may require reservations.

"Due to the northern loop being unavailable for visitors, the park is analyzing how many visitors can safely visit the southern loop once it’s safe to reopen," the park said Tuesday.

SUMMER VISITORS:What to know if you're hoping to visit Yellowstone National Park after floods recede

All nine Yellowstone lodges, 12 campgrounds and 293 backcountry campsites are closed through at least Sunday and until further notice. Refunds would be issued if needed for reserved lodging and activities, the park said.

Guests hoping to cancel should expect long hold times as the central reservations line is "experiencing extremely high call volumes," according to the park's lodging website.

Businesses in hard-hit Gardiner had just started really recovering from the tourism contraction brought by the coronavirus pandemic, and were hoping for a good year, Bill Berg, a commissioner in nearby Park County, said.

“It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism, and this is going to be a pretty big hit,” he said. “They’re looking to try to figure out how to hold things together.”

Contributing: Christine Fernando, Eve Chen, Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Hannah Phillips of The Palm Beach Post reported from Gardiner, Montana.

Contact Breaking News Reporter N'dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg

Yellowstone National Park flooding photos show home swept away

As summer tourist season ramps up, record-breaking floods in Yellowstone National Park and dangerous mudslides have swept away homes, ripped apart bridges and forced evacuations of surrounding communities isolated without power.

On Tuesday, a video showed a home in Gardiner, Montana, collapsing into the murky waters of Yellowstone River.

Yellowstone River reached highs not seen in our lifetimes, at almost 14 feet on Monday. The previous record of 11.5 feet occurred more than a century ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Yellowstone National Park covers nearly 3,500 square miles in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It sits atop a volcanic hot spot with about half the world’s active geysers.

Nearby Park County said water and air rescues were underway Monday and issued shelter-in-place orders.

More:Yellowstone National Park closes entrances, evacuates visitors amid 'unprecedented' rainfall, flooding

Climate change is responsible for more intense and frequent weather events, scientists have said.

Rainfall is expected for the next several days and all five entrances to the park were closed, officials said Monday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team. She loves to make pizza, photograph friends and spoil her loving cat Pearl.

Yellowstone Park flooding: Parts may reopen to tourists on Monday ...

CNN —

Yellowstone National Park could partially reopen as early as Monday as officials continue to assess the damage caused by historic flooding, which now threatens to hamper the peak of the summer tourist season.

Heavy rains and rapid snowmelt caused rivers to swallow bridges, sweep away entire sections of roadway and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 visitors. The sudden closure has fueled concerns from business owners and employees in surrounding communities who rely on Yellowstone visitors as a key source of revenue.

The park’s northern region, which bore the brunt of the flood damage, is expected to be closed for a “substantial length of time,” which will likely go through the end of the season, the park said in a release Tuesday.

The less-impacted southern loop could reopen as early as Monday, Park Superintendent Cam Sholly told residents and tourists in Cody, Wyoming, on Wednesday, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

But while the southern loop reopening may provide relief to some tourism industry workers, those bordering the northern entrance are still left to wait.

A North Entrance road in Yellowstone National Park was inundated with water. Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service/AP

In the south Montana city of Gardiner, which acts as a gateway into Yellowstone’s northern entrance, hotel owners are already feeling the impact.

“There’s nobody here,” Keri Huesing, owner of Yellowstone Gateway Inn, told CNN. “We were booked solid for a year.”

Now, she says, all but one of her visitors are gone, following the flooding, and one neighboring hotel has shut down completely and sent its employees home.

“It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism,” Park County Commissioner Bill Berg said of Gardiner.

In Cody, which lies east of the park, tourism industry workers were eager for answers from Sholly on the southern loop reopening, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Sholly hopes gateway communities and park staff can determine how to sustain local businesses without attracting more visitors than the park can host, the paper reported.

The dangerous flooding fueled by heavy rainfall and snowmelt began to inundate the park and several surrounding communities Monday, overtaking essential roadways and bridges, and making it dangerous or impossible for some people to evacuate.

As some communities became completely surrounded by water, at times without power or drinking water, search and rescue teams worked to evacuate residents. The Montana National Guard this week carried out 87 rescues by helicopter, it said Wednesday on Facebook.

In Montana’s Park County, which includes Gardiner, water has been receding, and access to the communities that had been surrounded by floodwater has been restored for emergency vehicles at a minimum, Greg Coleman, the county’s emergency services manager, said Wednesday morning.

President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a disaster declaration for Montana in areas affected by flooding. “Federal funding is available to State, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm and flooding in the counties of Carbon, Park, and Stillwater,” the declaration states.

Park temporarily closed as locals try to recover

All five entrances to Yellowstone will remain closed through at least the weekend, the park said in a release Tuesday, and the northern roads of the park will likely be closed for an extended period due to “severely damaged, impacted infrastructure.”

The battering floodwaters wiped away entire segments of paved road near the northern entrance, downed trees and triggered multiple mudslides.

Communities surrounding Yellowstone are also reeling from the catastrophic damage. Quickly moving waters compromised several roads and bridges, submerged cars, and even swept away homes as the underlying foundations became completely worn away.

Micah Hoffman uses a pump to remove water from his basement in Rod Lodge, Montana. Matthew Brown/AP

In Park County, at least two homes collapsed into the intruding Yellowstone River early this week, and numerous homes and businesses were flooded, said Coleman, the county emergency official.

Video from witnesses showed one building in Gardiner collapsing into the river on Monday. Gardiner was isolated by water Monday and into Tuesday as flooding rendered roads and bridges impassable.

Aerial video captured by CNN shows one Montana home hanging precariously over the edge of a severely eroded embankment. Photos of the aftermath in the city of Red Lodge, Montana, on Tuesday, show several streets piled with rocks and debris as water still runs over the sidewalks.

The flooding in Red Lodge, Montana left the roads covered in rocks and debris. Courtesy Zachary Beard

Region braces for more potential flooding

The record flooding was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt from high elevations over the weekend in the Beartooth and Absaroka mountain ranges, which stretch across the Montana-Wyoming state line.

The level of runoff is comparable to the region receiving two to three times a normal June’s precipitation in only three days, according to CNN meteorologists.

A flood wave moved east Tuesday and Wednesday along the Yellowstone River, the National Weather Service said, leading to reports of major flooding in Billings, which is about a 175-mile drive east of Gardiner. By Tuesday afternoon, the river at Billings had surged well above its previous record of 15 feet, according to the weather service.

The flooding prompted city officials to shut down the city water plant late Tuesday night, the city’s public works department said.

The plant resumed operations at a low level Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday morning it was working at full capacity, city officials said.

Even as water levels began to recede in areas on Tuesday and Wednesday, park officials and residents in the region are bracing for the possibility of more flooding in the coming days.

More snow could soon melt in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, and that, coupled with more rain this weekend, could cause river levels to rise again, the National Weather Service’s office in Billings said.

Warm air is expected to move over the mountains Thursday night, keeping the low temperatures above freezing. This, along with plenty of sunshine during the day, should get snow melting. “Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s in the high country both Friday and Saturday afternoon,” the weather service said.

“Expect a few days of melting of what is still a substantial snowpack in the mountains.”

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to hit the area Saturday night and Sunday.

The weather service’s latest river forecasts predict substantial rises due to the melt. Still, the levels are predicted to be well under flood stage, because the rainfall amounts look very light. River projections show this new rise in water peaking over the weekend around Yellowstone and in Billings on Monday.

“By the time slightly more substantial precipitation arrives Sunday night into Monday, temperatures drop into the 30s, and snow is probable above 8,500 feet Sunday night,” the weather service said.

“That said, those with interests near waterways in the western foothills should pay attention to the forecasts through the weekend in case the forecast changes significantly,” the service added.

The intense rainfall and rapid snow melt already experienced by the park and nearby communities are consistent with projections laid out in a climate assessment report released last year from scientists with the US Geological Survey, Montana State University and the University of Wyoming.

The climate crisis is already driving more annual precipitation and runoff from melting snowpack in the Greater Yellowstone Area, and the trend will continue in the coming years, the report said.

Elizabeth Wolfe Jason Hanna Claudia Dominguez

Yellowstone National Park flooding, Lizzo's lyrics, the strawberry ...

Historic flooding, mudslides leave behind devastation at Yellowstone National Park. The stories of family members lost in the Ukraine war. And why Lizzo changed a song lyric.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here, and it's Flag Day! Ever wondered why it's called "Old Glory"? Here are five fast facts. Now, let's get to Tuesday's news!

But first, what would you do to earn $2,000? 🤑 Me? Specifically not this: A North Carolina pest control company is offering cash in exchange for releasing 100 cockroaches in your home as part of a study. Good luck to everyone involved.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

🗳 It's Primary Tuesday: Voters in Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota headed to the polls for primary races on issues from abortion to Donald Trump to control of the Senate. Here's what you need to know.

Extreme weather leaves devastation in Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park officials assessed widespread damage Tuesday as the park remained closed amid dangerous floods, mudslides and rockslides that have eroded roads, ripped apart bridges and led to evacuations this week. The flooding started to slowly recede Tuesday, but the record-level floods left all five entrances to the park closed through at least Wednesday, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but floodwaters swept away a number of homes, bridges and other structures with the northern part of the park suffering the worst damage. Keep reading.

Ukrainians tell stories of loved ones lost in the war

Anna Priymenko's youngest nephew, a budding soccer player, was only 5 years old when he was killed by the bomb that hit his family's home. Her other two nephews were 10 and 15. They loved sambo, a martial art that originated in the former USSR. Her only brother owned a textile business, donating countless blankets and pillows after the war began, and her mother was a kindergarten teacher. When she heard of their deaths, "the world collapsed," said Anna, 37. "I am basically left alone." Thousands of civilians have been killed in the Russian war on Ukraine, and countless people like Anna have been left alone in the aftermath, figuring out how to move forward when those they loved most are gone. "It is clear that this time may pass, it may settle down a little, but ... it will never be the way it was. It will never be," Anna said. These are the stories of the lives destroyed and devastated by Russia's war on Ukraine.

What everyone's talking about

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Eyes to the sky: Strawberry supermoon rises tonight

Get ready to scan the skies for the second supermoon of the year. June’s strawberry moon appears opposite the sun Tuesday, and it will remain full through Wednesday morning, NASA reported. It won't be visible to stargazers in North America until later Tuesday night, when it drifts above the horizon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. So why is it called the strawberry moon? Don’t be deceived by the name: Its origin has nothing to do with the moon’s hue or appearance, according to the almanac. Native American Algonquin tribes inhabiting the northeastern U.S. – along with as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples – have used the strawberry moon to mark the time for gathering ripened June-bearing strawberries, the almanac said. Keep reading to learn more. 🍓

📸 Strawberry moon to appear at its largest Tuesday night.

to appear at its largest Tuesday night. What is a strawberry moon? Your guide to every full moon this year.

Millions swelter under dangerous heat wave

Dangerous, record-setting heat had nearly one-third of the U.S. population in its grip Tuesday – from the Upper Midwest to the Southeast – on the cusp of summer’s official arrival. The National Weather Service issued excessive-heat warnings, watches and heat advisories for more than 100 million people as temperatures were expected to surge 10 to 20 degrees above normal from the Plains, the Midwest and some areas along the East Coast, according to AccuWeather. Here’s what we know about Tuesday's severe heat.

Graphics: Record-high temperatures from heat dome affect millions.

Record-high temperatures from heat dome affect millions. From the heat index to the heat dome to an excessive heat warning, everything you need to know about heat.

Real quick

Lizzo changes lyric after backlash over offensive term

After being accused of using an ableist slur in her latest track "Grrrls," Lizzo shared an apology and released a new version of her song. In a Twitter post Tuesday, the singer said an updated version of "Grrrls," the latest single from her coming album, "Special," was released after she learned its lyrics contained "a harmful word." The original lyric that offended fans came from the song’s line, "Do you see this (expletive)? I'm a spaz," with many claiming that "spaz" is an ableist slur. "Spaz" has often been used as slang to describe losing physical or emotional control, but has fallen increasingly out of fashion because of its origin from "spastic," "a form of muscular weakness (spastic paralysis, typical of cerebral palsy," according to Lexico, an online dictionary. The controversy is a reminder that other slang terms in our vernacular have derived from more-serious origins, making it important to put more thought behind what we speak. Keep reading to learn more.

A break from the news

Yellowstone National Park flooding: Northern parts may stay closed ...

(CNN) While all entrances of Yellowstone National Park are temporarily closed because flooding has damaged roads and bridges, the park's northern portion in particular may remain closed for "a substantial length of time," park officials said Tuesday.

"Many sections of road in (the park's northern areas) are completely gone and will require substantial time and effort to reconstruct," a news release reads. " ... It is probable that road sections in northern Yellowstone will not reopen this season due to the time required for repairs."

Dangerous flooding caused by abundant rain and rapid snowmelt began to hit the park and several counties in southern Montana on Monday, washing out or eroding roads and bridges and inflicting widespread damage on homes and businesses

The park on Monday closed all five of Yellowstone's entrances in Montana and Wyoming to inbound traffic -- in part to prevent people from being stranded as conditions deteriorated.

Yellowstone National Park could partly reopen as early as Monday, the Casper Star Tribune reports. Cam Sholly, the park's superintendent, told residents and tourists in Cody on Wednesday rangers could reopen parts of the park not badly impacted by flooding, according to the paper.

Residents of Red Lodge, Montana, clear mud, water and debris from the city's main street on Tuesday.

Park officials told visitors already in the park to leave, and more than 10,000 have left the park since Monday, Sholly said Tuesday.

Though cooler temperatures and drier weather have allowed some parts of swollen rivers to start receding, higher temperatures are expected later this week and into the weekend, which could cause more snowmelt runoff and therefore more flooding, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

"There will be no inbound visitor traffic at any of the five entrances into the park, including visitors with lodging and camping reservations, until conditions improve and park infrastructure is evaluated," the park's release reads.

Quickly deteriorating road conditions in Yellowstone created harrowing evacuations for some visitors, including the parents of CNN supervising producer Tim Carter, who had to exit over a bridge which had been compromised.

"When we were going over it, it was really scary because the water was already violently swirling around the bridge," Martha Carter said. "We did find out later that it had washed out."

Meanwhile, some surrounding communities in Montana were left without power or safe drinking water as flood conditions made it impossible or unsafe to travel and compromised water supplies.

Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster Tuesday and MontanaGov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster Tuesday and announced he would seek an expedited presidential disaster declaration to help cover the cost of recovery.

Dramatic flooding prompts evacuations and rescues

Rain and snowmelt flooded rivers including the Yellowstone River, which runs northwest through Yellowstone Park in Wyoming and then north and eastward through several nearby Montana communities.

The flooding washed out parts of roads especially in the northern part of the park, and inundated south Montana homes, businesses and infrastructure Monday, forcing many families to evacuate. In the Montana city of Gardiner, a gateway to the park's northern entrance, video from witnesses showed a building collapsing into the Yellowstone River on Monday.

In Montana's Park County, which includes Gardiner, at least two homes collapsed into the intruding river and numerous homes and businesses were flooded, Greg Coleman, the county's disaster emergency services manager, told CNN Wednesday.

For some, roads and bridges were rendered temporarily impassable by the flooding, leaving them trapped, at times without clean water or power.

The Montana National Guard used four helicopters to help with evacuations in affected areas on Monday and Tuesday and also sent soldiers to the city of Red Lodge to establish a command center for search and rescue efforts, the force said. The Guard has used helicopters to rescue 87 people in south-central Montana since Monday, it said Wednesday

A Montana helicopter company flew about 40 people out of Gardiner, which was temporarily isolated by flooding, Laura Jones with Rocky Mountain Rotors told CNN.

A house that was pulled into a flooded creek in Red Lodge, Montana, is pictured Tuesday.

In the south Montana community of Absarokee, situated along a Yellowstone River tributary, resident Tracy Planichek and her husband had just reached their long-awaited goal of having a new home when the flood threat forced them to evacuate.

Now, she told CNN, she is desperately hoping it has avoided the destruction seen in other homes, some of which were swept away. "(We've) never been able to afford a new house," she said. "It's sitting at the top of the lane, and we're hoping that by some God miracle that our house will be there."

A road from Livingston into Gardiner was reopened Tuesday to local traffic, goods and services, but "significant damage" remains, Park County Sheriff Brad Bichler said.

A road near Yellowstone National Park's northern entrance was significantly damaged by flooding.

Floods shut down businesses in Gardiner

The flooding in Yellowstone has also had an adverse effect on businesses in the area.

Tami Rai McDonald owns the historic Park Hotel Yellowstone in Gardiner and told CNN Wednesday she and her staff are "at the end of a rope" because the flooding and closing of Yellowstone Park has "cut us off from the world."

The Park Hotel is usually booked one to two years in advance, McDonald said.

Photos taken on Tuesday afternoon show the aftermath of the flooding in Red Lodge, Montana. Images show the street covered in rocks and debris from the high water levels.

"This closure of entrance during high season has caught all by surprise with no back up plans to survive what supports our livelihood," McDonald told CNN via text message, adding many visitors have called and emailed they were looking forward to staying at her hotel and have no alternative plans.

"So we (are) empty now, employees planned their lives to be here to keep things special, they feel a bit lifeless, abandoned, we feel sick for our guests who so looked forward to their time here, to get away, so excited," McDonald's text read. "So many guests are so upset, crying, don't know what to do."

Zachary Beard told CNN he took these photos Tuesday along Broadway Avenue in Red Lodge, Montana.

Kari Huesing, who works at the Yellowstone Gateway Inn, told CNN the area has been a ghost town this week. One hotel, she said, shut down and sent all of their employees home. Her hotel will have a meeting to decide what they can do going forward.

"This is all based on tourism," Huesing said. The Yellowstone Gateway Inn had been booked for a year, Huesing said, and now there is all but one person at the hotel who actually recently checked out.

Flood wave moves to Billings and further east

A wave of flooding still was moving east Wednesday along the Yellowstone River, threatening more trouble in south Montana.

By early Wednesday, major flooding from the river was being reported in Billings, roughly a 175-mile drive east of Gardiner. The river in Billings rose above its previous record, 15 feet, around 4 p.m. Tuesday, said the National Weather Service.

"Exactly how high the river is, is a bit unsure with floodwaters impacting the gauge a bit at these higher levels, but have not seen a downturn trend yet," the service's office in Billings tweeted early Wednesday

Fields and streets were flooded along the river Tuesday just outside Billings, images posted to Facebook by the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office showed. One picture showed two people walking in calf-deep water in a neighborhood.

Billings public works officials said they decided Tuesday night to shut down water plant facilities after flooding in the Yellowstone River caused river levels to exceed 16 feet, according to a Facebook post from the department.

"As of Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., the water level at the plant reached more than 16 feet. For the plant to operate effectively, the river needs to be at 15 feet or below," officials said in the post.

Public works director Debi Meling said Wednesday no one had planned for this level of flooding the facilities were designed and recognized the diligence of the facilities' operational teams.

She added the plant would not return to "normal operations" until river water levels decrease.

Meling said all reservoirs are filled, and the plant would have water for the community for about a day to a day and a half. Superintendent of Parks Mike Pigg said firetrucks were filled with water and water for all city parks was turned off.

The river should crest there Wednesday -- though attention will turn to high temperatures that could cause more snowmelt and more flooding in the region this weekend.

Billings will approach record temperatures in the upper 90s Friday and Saturday, while the higher elevations will be in the 60s and 70s. This would be warm enough to melt the remaining snow pack and lead to additional river rises over the weekend. And more rain is possible in the area on Sunday.

A lot of rain and snowmelt in only three days

What led to the flooding was substantial rainfall and snow runoff over the weekend in the Beartooth and Absaroka mountain ranges, which span the Montana-Wyoming state line.

The combination of rain and snowmelt created a "total water event of at least 4 to 9 inches," the National Weather Service in Billings said Tuesday.

That amount of runoff is similar to the region receiving two to three times a normal June's precipitation in only three days, according to CNN meteorologists.

In the park, officials had all visitors move out of lodging and campgrounds and leave the park to prevent anyone from being stranded, the National Park Service said in a news release . The park averages between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors in June, Sholly said.

The park has also closed the Yellowstone back country and has been in contact with groups in the area.

A washed out bridge at Yellowstone National Park's Rescue Creek.

"We have contacted or know the whereabouts of every back country user currently in Yellowstone," Sholly said, noting one group remained in the northern range. No helicopter evacuations have been necessary, he said.

No known injuries or deaths occurred in the park because of the flooding, Sholly said, and officials do not believe the animals in the park have been significantly affected.

The park's southern loop "appears to be less impacted than the northern roads" and teams will try to determine when the loop can be reopened. But officials expect it to stay closed at least through Sunday, the park's release states.

Jason Hanna
Amir Vera
Elizabeth Wolfe
David Williams
Paradise Afshar

Floodwaters from Yellowstone surge through eastern Montana

Matthew Brown and Lindsay Whitehurst

The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana's largest city restarted its water plant Thursday after shutting it down amid record flooding that's caused widespread damage in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding communities.

Residents in ravaged areas, meanwhile, cleaned up from the mess and braced for the economic fallout while the park remains closed at the height of tourist season.

Billings had asked residents to conserve water because it was down to a limited supply when the Yellowstone River hit record high levels and triggered the closure of the treatment plant.

“We are aware yesterday’s alert to the community caused a panic. That was never our hope,” city officials said in a statement Thursday. “We have never witnessed a situation like the one we saw yesterday ... we did not know how bad it could get or how long it would continue.”

The floodwaters continued to move downstream. By Friday morning, the flooding was expected to reach Miles City in eastern Montana. Local authorities said low-lying areas along the river could be flooded but there was no immediate risk to the city of more than 8,000 people.

Officials asked Billings residents Wednesday to conserve water because it was down to a 24- to 36-hour supply after a combination of heavy rain and rapidly melting mountain snow raised the Yellowstone River to historic levels that forced them to shut down its water treatment plant.

“None of us planned a 500-year flood event on the Yellowstone when we designed these facilities,” said Debi Meling, the city’s public works director.

The city of 110,000 stopped watering parks and boulevards, and its fire department filled its trucks with river water.

Normal operations resumed Thursday after the river level began to drop. It crested Wednesday at more than a foot above the previous recorded high in Billings in 1997.

The unprecedented and sudden flooding this week drove all but a dozen of the more than 10,000 visitors out of the nation’s oldest national park.

Remarkably, no one was reported hurt or killed by raging waters that pulled homes off their foundations and pushed a river off course – possibly permanently – and may require damaged roads to be rebuilt a safer distance away.

WHAT DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE?:Yellowstone still closed as flooding recedes and thousands evacuate

On Wednesday, residents in Red Lodge, Montana, a gateway town to the park’s northern end, used shovels, wheelbarrows and a pump to clear thick mud and debris from a flooded home along the banks of Rock Creek.

“We thought we had it, and then a bridge went out," Pat Ruzich said. "And it diverted the creek, and the water started rolling in the back, broke out a basement window and started filling up my basement. And then I quit. It was like, the water won.”

While the Yellowstone flood is rare, it is the type of event that is becoming more common as the planet warms, experts said.

“We certainly know that climate change is causing more natural disasters, more fires, bigger fires and more floods and bigger floods,” said Robert Manning, a retired University of Vermont professor of environment and natural resources, “These things are going to happen, and they’re going to happen probably a lot more intensely.”

Yellowstone officials are hopeful that next week they can reopen the southern half of the park, which includes Old Faithful geyser. Park officials say the northern half of the park is likely to remain closed all summer, a devastating blow to the local economies that rely on tourism.

SUMMER TRAVEL:What to know if you're hoping to visit Yellowstone National Park after floods recede

Closure of the northern part of the park will keep visitors from features that include Tower Fall, Mammoth Hot Springs and the Lamar Valley, which is known for viewing wildlife such as bears and wolves.

The rains hit just as area hotels filled up in recent weeks with summer tourists. More than 4 million visitors were tallied by the park last year. The wave of tourists doesn’t abate until fall, and June is typically one of Yellowstone’s busiest months.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, has faced criticism from Democrats and members of the public for being out of the country during the flooding.

“Before flooding began in south-central Montana, Governor Gianforte left the country late last week on a long-scheduled personal trip with the first lady,” the governor’s spokesperson, Brooke Stroyke, said in a statement Wednesday. “He is returning early and as quickly as possible.”

The statement did not say where the governor was. Montana’s Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras signed an emergency disaster declaration on Tuesday and she was meeting with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and state disaster and emergency services personnel in Red Lodge on Thursday.

The tourism season had started well for Cara McGary, who guides groups through the Lamar Valley to see wolves, bison, elk and bears. She’d seen more than 20 grizzlies some days this year.

Now, with the road from Gardiner into northern Yellowstone washed out, the wildlife is still there, but it’s out of reach to McGary and her guide service, In Our Nature, is suddenly in trouble.

“The summer that we prepared for is not at all similar to the summer that we’re going to have,” she said. “This is an 80% to 100% loss of business during the high season.”

Flying Pig Adventures, a Gardiner-based business that guides rafting trips on the Yellowstone River, will need to rely more on tourists staying in Montana now that roads into the park are impassible, co-owner Patrick Sipp said Wednesday.

WHAT WE KNOW:Yellowstone National Park flooding 'still raging'; more than 10,000 visitors evacuated

It’s a blow not unlike how COVID-19 temporarily shut down Yellowstone two years ago, reducing the park’s June 2020 tourist visits by about one-third before they rebounded over the rest of that summer.

“We’re definitely a resilient company, we’ve got a very tough crew,” Sipp said. “But it’s devastating. You just hate seeing stuff like that in the community. We’re just hoping that we can get back out there relatively soon.”

Meantime, as the waters recede, park officials are turning their attention to the massive effort of rebuilding many miles of ruined roads and, possibly, hundreds of washed-out bridges, many of them built for backcountry hikers. Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said assessment teams won’t be able to tally the damage until next week.

Kelly Goonan, an associate professor at Southern Utah University and an expert in national parks and recreation management, said rebuilding will be a long process.

“This is something we’re definitely going to feel the impacts of for the next several years,” Goonan said.

Yellowstone National Park flooding: What summer visitors should ...

It was supposed to be a banner year for America's oldest national park.

Yellowstone turned 150 in March. A whole series of in-person and virtual events were planned to mark the occasion. The park was just days into its busy summer season when catastrophic floods shut it down, forcing more than 10,000 visitors to evacuate.

But they aren't the only visitors impacted.

People planning to visit in weeks ahead are being advised to stay abreast of road and weather conditions due to severe damage. Some parts of the park may stay closed all summer and other parts may require reservations.

Here's what travelers planning to visit Yellowstone this summer should know.

Swept away:Yellowstone National Park hit by major floods and mudslides

Yellowstone renames Mount Doane:Namesake U.S. Army officer helped lead massacre of Native Americans

When will Yellowstone reopen?

It's not clear.

The park says closures will last through at least the weekend.

"All entrances to Yellowstone National Park remain temporarily CLOSED while the park waits for floodwaters to recede and can conduct evaluations on roads, bridges and wastewater treatment facilities to ensure visitor and employee safety," the park posted online Tuesday. "There will be no inbound visitor traffic at any of the five entrances into the park, including visitors with lodging and camping reservations, until conditions improve and park infrastructure is evaluated."

The park has been providing regular updates through its homepage, www.nps.gov/yell.

What parts of Yellowstone are damaged?

Aerial surveys show roads in the northern part of the park appear more heavily damaged than in the south, but park officials need to assess the area more closely before reopening anything.

"Due to the northern loop being unavailable for visitors, the park is analyzing how many visitors can safely visit the southern loop once it’s safe to reopen," the park said Tuesday. "This will likely mean implementation of some type of temporary reservation system to prevent gridlock and reduce impacts on park infrastructure."

Reservations are not typically required to enter the park, but traffic can back up even under regular conditions. Yellowstone is consistently one of America's most popular national parks and saw its highest visits on record last year.

"The National Park Service will make every effort to repair these roads as soon as possible; however, it is probable that road sections in northern Yellowstone will not reopen this season due to the time required for repairs," the park said.

Crowded Europe:A weakened euro is good news for US travelers. For the large crowds in Europe, not so much.

Disney visit:What’s coming – and what’s coming back – to Walt Disney World this summer after COVID

What happens to Yellowstone lodging reservations?

All nine Yellowstone lodges, 12 campgrounds and 293 backcountry campsites are closed through at least Sunday and until further notice.

"If we are not able to provide the lodging or tours/activities you’ve reserved at the time of your reservation, we will cancel and fully refund those arrangements," Yellowstone National Park Lodges posted on its website.

Guests hoping to cancel should expect long hold times as the central reservations line is "experiencing extremely high call volumes."

Potential guests are advised to check Yellowstone's alerts webpage for conditions before their trips.


June's strawberry moon will light up the sky this week

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more

The moon will appear full from Sunday moonrise to Wednesday moonset, according to NASA . It will reach its peak at 7:52 a.m. ET Tuesday but will not be fully visible in North America until moonrise. This year's strawberry moon is the first of two consecutive supermoons.

While there is no single definition, the term supermoon generally refers to a full moon that appears brighter and larger than other moons because it is at its closet orbit to Earth.

To a casual observer, the supermoon may appear similar in size to other moons. However, the noticeable change in brightness enhances visibility and creates a great opportunity for people to begin paying attention to the moon and its phases, said Noah Petro, chief of NASA's Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab.

The ideal time to look at the moon is when it is rising or setting since that's when it will appear the largest to the naked eye, said Jacqueline Faherty, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History. ( The Old Farmer's Almanac's calculator can help you find out what time the moon rises and sets in your location.)

The best views of June's full moon in the United States will be in the southern half of the country and the Southwest. A series of weak storms will move through the Northeast and Great Lakes regions early in the week, creating cloudy conditions that will make it difficult to get a clear view, CNN meteorologist Gene Norman said.

A strawberry full moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece, in June 2021.

Petro recommends that moon gazers seek out a clear horizon and avoid areas with tall buildings and thick forestry. He also urges people to stay away from bright lights if possible for maximum visibility.

The name strawberry moon is rooted in the traditions of Indigenous groups in the Northeastern US, including the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota communities that saw the celestial event as a sign that strawberries, and other fruits, were ripe and ready to be gathered. The Haida people refer to the moon as the berries ripen moon, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac

In Europe, this moon is often called the honey moon or the mead moon, and historical writings from the region suggest that honey was ready for harvest around the end of the month. Additionally, the name honey moon may refer to June's reputation as a popular month for marriages.

This full moon corresponds with the Hindu festival Vat Purnima, a celebration where married women tie a ceremonial thread around a banyan tree and fast to pray that their spouse lives a long life.

For Buddhists, this moon is the Poson Poya moon, named after the holiday celebrating the introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in 236 BC.

There will be six more full moons in 2022, according to The Old Farmers' Almanac

July 13: Buck moon

August 11: Sturgeon moon

September 10: Harvest moon

October 9: Hunter's moon

November 8: Beaver moon

December 7: Cold moon

These are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, but the significance of each one may vary across Native American tribes

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be one more total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to view solar eclipses safely as the sun's light can be damaging to the eye.

A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe , northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. This partial solar eclipse will not be visible from North America.

A total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET, but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

Meteor showers

Check out the remaining meteor showers that will peak in 2022:

Southern Delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30

Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31

Perseids: August 11 to 12

Orionids: October 20 to 21

Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5

Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12

Leonids: November 17 to 18

Geminids: December 13 to 14

Ursids: December 21 to 22

If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn't littered with city lights to get the best view.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes -- without looking at your phone or other electronics -- to adjust to the darkness so the meteors will be easier to spot.

Strawberry moon 2021: How to see the year's last supermoon on ...

After a pair of eclipses over the past few weeks, both lunar and solar, sky watchers will be in for another treat this week.

The full strawberry moon will grace the night sky this Thursday across the world.

Although the moon will officially be full before it pops above the horizon, it will look plenty big when it rises in the eastern sky Thursday evening, about the same time as the sun is setting in the western sky.

Alas, although it will be a supermoon, it won't look like a strawberry, and it probably won't be red, astronomers say, although it may have a golden color.

When is the strawberry supermoon 2021?

June’s full moon will reach peak illumination at 2:40 p.m. EDT on Thursday, but will not be visible until later that evening, when it drifts above the horizon, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Why is it called the strawberry moon?

June's full moon is called the strawberry moon because it signaled to some Native American tribes that it was the time of year to gather ripening strawberries, the almanac says.

The strawberry moon is the most colorful of the year because it takes a low, shallow path across the sky, said Bob Bonadurer, director of the Milwaukee Public Museum's planetarium.

The low arc of the June full moon across the sky means moonlight must travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere, which often gives it an orange or yellow tint.

The strawberry moon is also called "hot moon" because it rises right around the beginning of summer.

In Europe, alternative names include the honey moon, the mead moon or the rose moon.

What is a supermoon?

This Thursday's full moon will also be the fourth and final supermoon of 2021, when the moon looks somewhat bigger and brighter than usual since it's a bit closer to the Earth than usual.

The previous three supermoons were in March, April and May, according to NASA.

"Different publications use slightly different thresholds for deciding when a full moon is close enough to the Earth to qualify as a supermoon," NASA said.

"Because the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle, the moon is sometimes closer to the Earth than at other times during its orbit."

On average, supermoons appear about 7% bigger and about 15% brighter than a typical full moon.

Expect a full pink moon to shine this entire weekend

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more

(CNN) April's full moon will illuminate the sky this entire weekend, and while it's called the pink moon, it's not actually that color.

The pink moon will appear full from early Friday to Monday morning, according to NASA . It will be at its peak fullness on Saturday, April 16, at 2:55 p.m. ET.

The pink moon is associated with the early spring arrival of creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), also known as moss phlox or mountain phlox.

The moon is associated with the springtime blossoming of the Phlox subulata plant, a pink wildflower native to eastern North America, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac . The plant is commonly known as creeping phlox, moss phlox or mountain phlox.

Native American names for April's full moon were homages to the spring season, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac . The Dakota tribe dubbed it the "moon when the streams are again navigable," while the Tlingit tribe called it "budding moon of plants and shrubs," in reference to the end of winter and the resurgence of plant growth.

The pink moon also aligns with several religious holidays, according to NASA. It's called the Paschal moon in the Christian ecclesiastical calendar, because it's the full moon before Easter. For Hindus, this moon marks Hanuman Jayanti, the celebration of the Hindu monkey deity Lord Hanuman . The pink moon is Bak Poya for Buddhists, especially in Sri Lanka, and commemorates Buddha's visit to the island country, where Buddha prevented a war by settling a dispute between chiefs.

Unlike the last two years, this April's pink moon will not be a supermoon. However, it still comes with its own folklore. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, "A full moon in April brings frost. If the full moon rises pale, expect rain."

"There certainly is a chance of rain or frost this weekend. There is also a chance of neither," said CNN Meteorologist Judson Jones. "But in some areas of the Midwest, people will see some below-average morning temperatures this weekend, which may leave them wishing for a pale moon."

After the pink moon, there are eight full moon events still to come in 2022, with two of them qualifying as supermoons. Here's a list of the remaining moons for 2022, according to the Farmers' Almanac

May 16: Flower moon

June 14: Strawberry moon

July 13: Buck moon

August 11: Sturgeon moon

September 10: Harvest moon

October 9: Hunter's moon

November 8: Beaver moon

December 7: Cold moon

While these are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, the significance of each one may vary across Native American tribes

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses in 2022, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun's light can be damaging to the eye.

A partial solar eclipse on April 30 can be seen by those in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic peninsula. Another one on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. Neither of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.

A lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon when the sun, Earth and moon align, and the moon passes into Earth's shadow. Earth casts two shadows on the moon during the eclipse. The penumbra is the partial outer shadow, and the umbra is the full, dark shadow.

When the full moon moves into Earth's shadow, it darkens, but it won't disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere lights the moon in a dramatic fashion, turning it red -- which is why this is often referred to as a "blood moon."

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it may be rusty, brick-colored or blood red.

This happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it onto the moon.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible to those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (except for those in northwestern regions) between 9:31 p.m. ET on May 15 and 2:52 a.m. ET on May 16.

Another total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET -- but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

Meteor showers

This year kicked off with the Quadrantid meteor shower in January, and the next meteor shower will peak later this month.

remaining 11 Here are the peak dates for theremaining 11 showers to watch for in 2022:

• Lyrids: April 21 to 22

• Eta Aquariids: May 4 to 5

• Southern delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30

• Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31

• Perseids: August 11 to 12

• Orionids: October 20 to 21

• Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5

• Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12

• Leonids: November 17 to 18

• Geminids: December 13 to 14

• Ursids: December 21 to 22

If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn't littered with city lights to get the best view.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes -- without looking at your phone or other electronics -- to adjust to the darkness so the meteors will be easier to spot.

Angie Orellana Hernandez
Ashley Strickland

A worm moon will light up the sky this week

(CNN) One of the brightest heralds of spring makes its appearance this week.

The March full moon, known as the worm moon, will be at its peak at 3:18 a.m. ET on Friday, March 18, according to NASA . It will appear full through Saturday morning.

This moon will appear larger to viewers because of the "moon illusion," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac . This occurs when the moon is near the horizon and our eyes compare the moon's size to trees, buildings or other earthly objects. By comparing these reference points to the moon, our brain tricks us into thinking the moon is bigger.

Southern Native American tribes named the worm moon after the earthworm casts -- essentially feces -- that emerged as the ground thawed at winter's end, according to NASA.

Another account in the Old Farmer's Almanac says that the name refers to beetle larvae that would come out of winter hideouts as spring arrived.

Northern Native American tribes, however, lived among forests without native earthworms due to glaciers having wiped out the species, according to NASA. Some of these groups instead referred to the moon as the crow moon, as a nod to the birds whose cawing would signal the end of winter.

In the Hindu month Phalguna, the March full moon marks the beginning of the Holi Festival, a two-day celebration known as the "Festival of Love," "Festival of Colors" and "Festival of Spring," according to NASA.

There are nine full moons left in 2022, with two of them qualifying as supermoons. Here is a list of the remaining moons for 2022, according to the Farmers' Almanac

April 16: Pink moon

May 16: Flower moon

June 14: Strawberry moon

July 13: Buck moon

August 11: Sturgeon moon

September 10: Harvest moon

October 9: Hunter's moon

November 8: Beaver moon

December 7: Cold moon

While these are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, the significance of each one may vary across Native American tribes

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be two total lunar eclipses and two partial solar eclipses in 2022, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun's light can be damaging to the eye.

A partial solar eclipse on April 30 can be seen by those in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic peninsula. Another one on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. Neither of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.

A lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon when the sun, Earth and moon align, and the moon passes into Earth's shadow. Earth casts two shadows on the moon during the eclipse. The penumbra is the partial outer shadow, and the umbra is the full, dark shadow.

When the full moon moves into Earth's shadow, it darkens, but it won't disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere lights the moon in a dramatic fashion, turning it red -- which is why this is often referred to as a "blood moon."

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it may be rusty, brick-colored or blood red.

This happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it on the moon.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible to those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (excepting northwestern regions) between 9:31 p.m. ET on May 15 and 2:52 a.m. ET on May 16.

Another total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET -- but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

Meteor showers

This year kicked off with the Quadrantid meteor shower in January, but the next meteor shower won't peak until April.

Here are the remaining 11 showers to watch for in 2022:

• Lyrids: April 21-22

• Eta Aquariids: May 4-5

• Southern delta Aquariids: July 29-30

• Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31

• Perseids: August 11-12

• Orionids: October 20-21

• Southern Taurids: November 4-5

• Northern Taurids: November 11-12

• Leonids: November 17-18

• Geminids: December 13-14

• Ursids: December 21-22

If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn't littered with city lights that will obstruct your view.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes -- without looking at your phone or other electronics -- to adjust to the darkness so the meteors will be easier to spot.

May's flower full moon will blossom in the sky this weekend

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more

(CNN) May's full moon, known as the flower moon, will blossom in the sky on Sunday night into Monday.

The moon will reach its peak at 12:15 a.m. ET on Monday, May 16, so it will appear at its roundest the evening of May 15, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac

The flower moon is named after the flowers that blossom this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, The Old Farmer's Almanac said.

The lunar event is also known as the full corn planting moon because May marks the end of winter's frost, which allows farmers to plant their seeds.

The Abernaki people from Maine also reference the planting season by calling this full moon the field maker moon, according to Western Washington University . The Winnebago people in the Great Lakes region call it "hoeing-corn moon," according to the university.

Vesak, a sacred day for Buddhists, corresponds with May's full moon, according to the United Nations . The birth of Gautama Buddha, the moment he attained enlightenment and his death all took place on days of Vesak, according to the organization.

Stargazers will be in for a treat as the flower moon transforms into a scarlet color during the total lunar eclipse happening at the same time . A total lunar eclipse is when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, which causes only a small amount of sunlight to reach the moon, according to NASA

Most of the United States will have clear skies the evening of May 15 and into the next morning, said CNN meteorologist Monica Garrett.

"The exception will be in the Northeast where some rain will be moving through, keeping the sky cloudy," she said.

There will also be some scattered showers across the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon, and clouds across the Northern Rockies, Garrett said.

There will be seven more full moons in 2022, according to The Old Farmers' Almanac:

• June 14: Strawberry moon

• July 13: Buck moon

• August 11: Sturgeon moon

• September 10: Harvest moon

• October 9: Hunter's moon

• November 8: Beaver moon

• December 7: Cold moon

While these are the popularized names associated with the monthly full moons, the significance of each one may vary across Native American tribes

Lunar and solar eclipses

There will be one more total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse in 2022, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun's light can be damaging to the eye.

A partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. Neither of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.

A total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET -- but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

Meteor showers

Check out the remaining 11 showers that will peak in 2022:

• Southern delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30

• Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31

• Perseids: August 11 to 12

• Orionids: October 20 to 21

• Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5

• Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12

• Leonids: November 17 to 18

• Geminids: December 13 to 14

• Ursids: December 21 to 22

If you live in an urban area, you may want to drive to a place that isn't littered with city lights to get the best view.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky. Make sure you have a chair or blanket so you can look straight up. And give your eyes about 20 to 30 minutes -- without looking at your phone or other electronics -- to adjust to the darkness so the meteors will be easier to spot.

'Fireballs' will light up the sky tonight when the Perseid meteor ...

The Perseid meteor shower will continue through Aug. 24.

The shower is known for its bright, long streaks of light and dazzling "fireballs."

The showers are best seen around 2 a.m. local time, but can be visible as early as 9 p.m.

Gaze upon the night sky as the best meteor shower of the year makes its annual return.

It has been an incredible year to witness some of the solar system's visually stunning phenomena, from the super flower blood moon in May, the ring of fire solar eclipse in early June and the strawberry supermoon late last month. Now, it's time for the annual meteor shower NASA has called the best of the year.

The Perseid shower began July 14 and will continue through Aug. 24, with the peak coming in mid-August. This year, that peak will be Aug. 11-13.

Discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, the shower originates from Earth entering the orbit of debris from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun.

What makes the event so stunning is the shower's bright, long streaks of light and dazzling "fireballs," which are large bursts that last longer than typical meteors, according to NASA.

How to watch the Perseid shower

Luckily for people in the United States, the shower is more visible in the Northern Hemisphere. But, it does require staying up late, and a clear view of the sky.

The showers are best seen around 2 a.m. local time but can be visible as early as 9 p.m. It can be seen until just before dawn.

If staying up late every night for the chance to see the shower isn't ideal, it may be best to wait for the peak. From Aug. 11 to 13, up to 100 meteors an hour can be seen in the night sky.

Last year, the moon's light made it harder for people to catch a glimpse of the showers. This year will be better, because the moon is in its the waxing crescent phase and will be in it again during the peak period, meaning it won't have much light to compete with the meteors.

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY. Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jord_mendoza.

Total lunar eclipse 2022: Dazzling 'blood moon' captured in pictures ...

(CNN) The moon glowed red on Sunday night and the early hours of Monday, after a total lunar eclipse that saw the sun, Earth and moon form a straight line in the night sky.

During a full lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the darkest part of the Earth's shadow -- the umbra. When the moon is within the umbra it gets a reddish hue because blue and green light get more easily scattered by dust particles in the atmosphere and orange and red colors remain more visible, according to NASA. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called blood moons because of this phenomenon.

The blood moon rises over lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City on May 15, 2022.

Stargazers around the world turned out to witness and capture the lunar event in images.

While the eclipse peaks for only a short amount of time, Petro said the moon would be bathed in coppery tones throughout the night, making it a particularly interesting celestial phenomenon to watch.

Katie Hunt
Megan Marples
Ashley Strickland

When to look up at the sky for the Lyrid meteor shower

Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more

(CNN) If you spot a shooting star in the night sky later this week, it might be from the Lyrid meteor shower, which will reach its peak overnight around 12 a.m. ET on April 22, according to EarthSky .

Named after the Lyra constellation, the Lyrid meteor shower will end the "meteor drought," the period between January and mid-April when no meteor showers light up the sky.

For those looking to get a glimpse at the Lyrids, they will be best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere, along the northeastern sky in the mid-northern latitudes, according to the American Meteor Society . This area encompasses North America.

Gazers should find an area away from city light pollution and lie back to get as much of the night sky in view. Wait 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness to make meteors easier to spot, NASA recommends.

The Lyrids have been observed for 2,700 years, according to NASA. This shower tends to have bright and fast meteors and has reached a peak of as many as 100 meteors seen per hour.

However the moon this year will be in a waning gibbous phase, meaning more than half of it will be shining luminously, so you'll only see the brightest meteors during the early morning of April 22, according to the American Meteor Society.

Want a better view? Try between late in the evening of April 22 and dawn of April 23 to get another look at the meteor shower under clearer conditions. Lyrids are commonly known to have unpredictable surges, so be prepared for unexpected outbursts, according to EarthSky.

Watchers should also keep an eye out for fireballs or glowing dust trails that meteors leave behind.

This shower will remain active until April 29.

After the Lyrids, there are 10 meteor showers that peak in 2022. Here's a list of the remaining showers to watch for this year:

Eta Aquariids: May 4 to 5

Southern delta Aquariids: July 29 to 30

Alpha Capricornids: July 30 to 31

Perseids: August 11 to 12

Orionids: October 20 to 21

Southern Taurids: November 4 to 5

Northern Taurids: November 11 to 12

Leonids: November 17 to 18

Geminids: December 13 to 14

Ursids: December 21 to 22

Lunar and solar eclipses

Following the Lyrids, the celestial show will continue on April 30, when a partial solar eclipse occurs. The event can be seen by those in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic peninsula, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac . Another partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible to those in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China.

Neither of the partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America.

Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun but only blocks some of its light. Be sure to wear proper eclipse glasses to safely view solar eclipses, as the sun's light can be damaging to the eye.

There will also be two total lunar eclipses in 2022.

A total lunar eclipse will be visible to those in Europe, Africa, South America and North America (except for those in northwestern regions) between 9:31 p.m. ET on May 15 and 2:52 a.m. ET on May 16.

Another total lunar eclipse will also be on display for those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET -- but the moon will be setting for those in eastern regions of North America.

A lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon when the sun, Earth and moon align, and the moon passes into Earth's shadow. Earth casts two shadows on the moon during the eclipse. The penumbra is the partial outer shadow, and the umbra is the full, dark shadow.

When the full moon moves into Earth's shadow, it darkens, but it won't disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere lights the moon in a dramatic fashion, turning it red -- which is why this event is often referred to as a "blood moon."

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, the moon may appear rusty, brick-colored or blood red.

This color variability happens because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most dominant color highlighted as sunlight passes through our atmosphere and casts it onto the moon.

Full moons

There are eight full moons still to come in 2022, with two of them qualifying as supermoons. Here is a list of the remaining moons this year, according to the Farmers' Almanac

May 16: Flower moon

June 14: Strawberry moon

July 13: Buck moon

August 11: Sturgeon moon

September 10: Harvest moon

October 9: Hunter's moon

November 8: Beaver moon

Wolf Moon: Stunning images show the first full moon of 2022 in all its ...

(CNN) The first full moon of the year lit up the night sky on Monday, and photographers captured its splendor.

A cable car passes in front of the moon as it crosses the River Thames in London on Monday, January 17.

Besides the wolf moon, January's full moon is known by a number of names, including the Old Moon and Ice Moon.

The full moon sets behind Monte Prena in Gran Sasso d'Italia National Park on January 17.

Hindus refer to it as Shakambhari Purnima, which marks the last day of Shakambari Navratri, an eight-day holiday honoring the goddess Shakambhari. People in India often bathe in holy waters during this time, NASA said.

Assiniboine people who live in the Northern Great Plains in the United States call this the center moon because it is around the middle of winter, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac

The full moon rises in the residential area of Eindhoven in the Netherlands on January 17.

Read More

Wolf moon, first 2021 full moon, has an unusual name. See the photos.

Sky watchers got a real treat Thursday night as the wolf moon filled the night sky.

Though the Virtual Telescope Project will stream video of the first full moonrise of the year over Rome's skyline, amateur astronomers can watch the sky through the early part of Saturday morning – barring any cloud cover due to winter storms.

The name is attributed to Native Americans noticing that wolves would howl during the winter months, when food was scarce, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

But that interpretation is most likely incorrect, Gordon Johnston, a retired NASA program manager, wrote in a blog post Tuesday.

"From what I have learned about traditional names given to full Moons prior to the introduction of modern timekeeping, local leaders would usually decide on the name of the Moon based on conditions at the time," he wrote. "Full Moon names were used to describe and remember what happened in the past and to remind of what was likely to come in the near future."

First meteor shower of 2021:Skwatchers capture dazzling photos of the Quadrantids

According to Indian Country Today, the closest name to "wolf moon" is actually the Sioux name, the "wolves run together" moon.

Other names for the wolf moon include the Algonquin's label squochee kesos, or "sun has not strength to thaw," the Hopi's moniker "moon of life at its height" and the Muscogee's name "winter's younger brother," per the Western Washington University Planetarium website, which has a list of full moon names for 29 tribes.

In case you weren't able to catch a glimpse, social media has you covered.

Unlike 2020, which saw 13 full moons, 2021 will have the typical 12 full moons. Their names, according to the Almanac: