Residents in a Montana city have been told to ration their water or it will run out within 36 hours after “unprecedented” amounts of flooding at Yellowstone National Park knocked out its water treatment plant.
On Monday, historic flooding not seen in 500 years forced Yellowstone National Park to evacuate everyone after the rushing water left main roads damaged or submerged and bridges either impassable or washed out.
Officials also claim that Billings’ water treatment plant was also affected—prompting a shutdown.
Here’s what the City spokeswoman Victoria Hill said in a press statement:
“Tonight, the plant is operating at a level that can meet the community’s essential needs. If residents continue to refrain from watering their grass or taking part in other activities that use a significant amount of water, we will be able to continue providing the city with basic water services.”
Hill encouraged residents to continue conserving water because the city’s water treatment plant was operating at a “very low capacity.” Sources claim that concerned residents made a run on the grocery stores in anticipation of the worst.
WLT reported:
City officials are hopeful that the flood waters will recede quickly and the situation in Billings will return to normal soon; however, critics have scrutinized Governor Gianforte’s response to the crisis.
A quick review of Twitter will show more than one person criticizing Governor Gianforte’s decision to go on vacation during a major crisis rocking the state’s most populous city.
The causes of this flooding are completely natural, but the timing couldn’t be worse, as we continue to see food processing plants destroyed and damaged, will we begin to see a water crisis also grip the nation?
And here’s more on the story:
Watch it here: RutMoe/Youtube
Update: historic flooding has shut down the water plant in Montana’s largest city. Officials in Billings are urging conservation, saying there is only enough water left to last a day to a day and a half.
— Kirk Siegler (@KirkSiegler) June 15, 2022
Daily Mail also reported the incident:
Billings has just a 24-to 36-hour supply of water and officials asked its 110,000 residents to conserve after water levels became too high for it to function.
The water is shown clearly destroying a red gantry that allows treatment plant employees to access the main building. Officials insisted that the water is still safe to drink, but is in low supply.
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.
Gianforte isn’t going to let flooding affect his vacay…as the rivers overflow. Billings doesn’t have bottled water left & we can’t produce more due to silt level, whole state is hurting (It’s crazy to see someone you didn’t follow but grad from HS with come up in your feed.) https://t.co/FReVO5wr6x
— Bravo Cupcake ♥️ (@realityaddictx) June 16, 2022
Billings city water is fine. It’s not flooded over. They are changing out the filters, which takes a little time. They are saying to cut back on usage for a while.
From what I am hearing, people are in panic mode and flocking to the grocery stores buying out the bottled water.
— Yellowstone Mark (@YellowstoneMTCA) June 15, 2022
Latest updates from local KTVQ News:
Director of Public Works Debi Meling noted the Yellowstone River reached 87,000 cubic feet per second on Wednesday morning.
“Last year at this time we had 8,000 CFS and it was a record low,” Meling said.
These record levels make the event a 500-year flood.
Public Works assures the drinking water from the plant is safe to drink and we will immediately notify the community if that changes.
Sources: WLT, Daily Mail, KTVQ News
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