6IX WORLD NEWS
Dramatic moment Montana National Guard aircrews rescue dozens of people trapped in Yellowstone floods
- The images, released by the Montana National Guard, show aircrews in helicopters rescuing stranded people between June 13 and 14, in the towns of Fromberg, Roscoe, Cooke City, and East Rosebud Lake
- Other footage released today shows the town of Red Lodge overwhelmed by floodwaters that turned main streets into rivers
- The footage shows slabs of concrete roads torn away, trees piled up alongside houses submerged in frothing water, and bridges torn away by the floodwaters
- The only water treatment plant serving Billings began operating 'at a very low capacity' on Wednesday night, after it was overrun and residents were told they had a 24-to 36-hour supply of water Wednesday morning
- Officials did express optimism that the river would drop quickly enough for the plant to resume operations before the supply ran out
- Heavy weekend rains and melting mountain snow had the Yellowstone River flowing at a historically high level of 16 feet as it raced past Billings
- The city gets its water from the river and was forced to shut down its treatment plant at about 9:30 a.m. because it can't operate effectively
- '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
Dramatic new images show National Guard aircrews rescuing citizens stranded by severe flooding around Yellowstone National Park.
The images, released by the Montana National Guard, provide a harrowing view over the shoulders of crewmen in helicopters as they fly low over the ravaged landscape and towns on June 13 and 14.
In one image, taken over the edge of a helicopter deck, a soldier is lowered by pulley to the roof of a house surrounded by a sea of brown floodwaters.
Another looks out from inside a helicopter, and down on a flooded house where people can be seen standing on the rooftop. A soldier's gloved hand can be seen clutching the pulley cable, ready to go.
The images show neighborhoods submerged in seas of floodwaters, a river valley flooded as full as a lake, and even a rainbow spilling from a rainstorm on the horizon.
The photos - several of which show mountain ranges and Montana plains rolling into the distance - also convey the might and beauty of the landscape that has been so ravaged by the elements in the past week.
The images are the latest in a run of gripping scenes to emerge from the Yellowstone National Park region, as unprecedented flooding washed away roads, homes and bridges, and led to the evacuation of thousands.
Montana has declared a state of disaster over the flooding, yet Governor Greg Gianforte's whereabouts remain unknown, as his office confirmed that he is out of the country but declined to say where, or when he would return to his beleaguered state.
A photo released by the Montana National Guard depicting an airborne rescue of people stranded in the Yellowstone region flooding
The images, released by the Montana National Guard, provide a harrowing view over the shoulders of crewmen in helicopters as they fly low over the ravaged landscape and towns on June 13 and 14
The photos - several of which show mountain ranges and Montana plains rolling into the distance - also convey the might and beauty of the landscape that has been so ravaged by the elements in the past week
Shots show neighborhoods submerged in seas of floodwaters, a river valley flooded as full as a lake, and even a rainbow spilling from another rainstorm on the horizon
The Montana National Guard shots were taken during rescue missions in the towns of Fromberg, Roscoe, Cooke City, and East Rosebud Lake.
The Guard said it has rescued over 87 people and flown over 41 hours of search and rescue missions since June 13.
The National Guard also said that it deployed 16 members to the town of Red Lodge, which was severely flooded this week.
Dramatic drone footage from Red Lodge, a small town just north of Yellowstone National Park, shows a frothing river rushing down what was once a main street in the town.
Slabs of concrete streets were torn away by the waters, and trees and debris piled high up against buildings and derelict bridges.
A valley where once a river flowed, transformed into a lake, as seen from the flight deck of a National Guard helicopter
The Guard said it has rescued over 87 people and flown over 41 hours of search and rescue missions since July 13
Satellite images taken on Wednesday just south of the park's northern entrance also captured the extent of the devastation in Yellowstone National Park.
The photos show the previously peaceful rivers transformed into raging torrents, and devastation along their banks. In one photo the winding paved roads are seen torn apart by the swollen river, and completely engulfed by the brown waters downstream.
In another set of before-and-after shots, a bridge can been seen to be swept away.
Meanwhile, the Billings water treatment plant restarted operations 'at a very low capacity' on Wednesday night, after it had been swamped by floodwaters. The plant is the only water treatment facility that services the city.
A spokesperson said that the plant is operating at a high enough capacity to meet the city's needs - if residents remain stringent about conserving fresh water.
News of the plant restarting comes after residents of Billings - Montana's largest city - were told they had 24-to 36-hour supply of water when the treatment plant was overwhelmed and shut down yesterday morning.
Drone captures catastrophic damage as flooding ravages Yellowstone
Drone footage of the floodwaters overwhelming the town of Red Lodge, Montana, was posted online on Tuesday
Governor Gianforte was last seen in public at the groundbreaking of a Montana State University building in Bozeman, on June 10, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. The next day, the first flood warnings were issued for the Yellowstone region.
As local Montana outlets began to note the governor's absence, Gianforte's office released a statement giving a vague explanation of his whereabouts.
The statement said that the governor was on 'long-scheduled personal trip with the first lady,' abroad, and that he would was 'returning early and as quickly as possible.'
Gianforte has been active on Twitter throughout the disaster, writing that he was 'closely monitoring' the situation, leading to outraged and mocking replies from users on the platform.
The governor has also received criticisms from Montana lawmakers, who have accused him of trying to hide the fact that he has been abroad while his state was in crisis.
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