A major windstorm and rain struck the southern area of Yellowstone National Park, primarily Lake Village.
The weather event blew down hundreds of trees throughout the area, including around the Lake Hotel, Lake Lodge, Lake Medical Clinic, and Lake General Store, as well as near Lake employee housing areas and Bridge Bay Campground and Marina, according to the Yellowstone National Park news release.
Some buildings and vehicles were hit by the trees. At least one building and three cabins were evacuated and remain closed for cleanup and repairs.
The hotel and clinic also lost commercial power for 24 hours.
There are no reports of fatalities or severe injuries. Additionally, visitor services were not substantially disrupted.
"Monday night's storm event hit the Lake area very hard," said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly. "The National Park Service team and our partners quickly stabilized the situation and got recovery efforts started immediately."
According to CNN, the National Weather Service reported on Monday night a 73-mph wind gust in Teton County.
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Cleanup and Restoration Efforts
The Yellowstone crew conducted cleanup operations to clear trees from roads, campgrounds, and some important infrastructure.
In the latest update of the national park, it said that the crew will continue its cleanup efforts until next week.
There are no temporary closures in the area at the moment, and visitors are encouraged to visit the website of Yellowstone National Park for further information.
Same time last year, Yellowstone experienced a severe flood that destroyed some parts of the park, damaged infrastructure, and caused visitors to be evacuated.
The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins just recently opened on July 1, after the hotel was closed because of damages to the area's wastewater system due to the historic flood.
Yellowstone is the first national park in the United States and was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage site in 1978.
Yellowstone Storm Was Not A Tornado
Scientists clarified that the storm that devastated Yellowstone National Park was not a tornado.
Jason Straub, a lead meteorologist for the Riverton-based arm of the National Weather Service, described the weather event as a microburst.
"From the pictures we've seen and the reports we've seen, definitely not a tornado," added Straub, as reported by Jackson Hole News and Guide.
According to Britannica, a microburst is a pattern of intense winds that descends from rain clouds, hits the ground, and fans out horizontally.
Straub said the weather phenomenon can knock down trees and power lines without the swirling winds of a tornado. However, he said it's difficult to characterize the storm beyond calling it a brief, powerful thunderstorm.
The wind sensors in the park recorded gusts of 49 mph southeast of Lake Yellowstone and 37 mph along the park's East Entrance road, but no sensors were found in Lake Village, where the storm hit on Monday.
"It was isolated, and once it went through the park it did dissipate," Straub said.
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