Montana’s governor returns amid floods
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte was vacationing in Italy when historic flooding overwhelmed the state last week and caused Yellowstone National Park to close, his office confirmed Friday.
Gianforte and his wife, Susan, went on a “long-scheduled personal trip” that was cut short after heavy rains deluged southwestern Montana. The governor’s office had initially declined to disclose his whereabouts or specify when he would return due to “security concerns,” even as many questioned why Gianforte was nowhere to be found during flooding that prompted him to declare a statewide disaster.
“The governor departed early Saturday morning to Italy with his wife for a long-planned personal, private trip,” his office said in a statement Friday after Gianforte had returned. “When severe flooding struck, the governor delegated his authority to respond to the disaster to Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras with whom he worked closely over the last four days to take swift, decisive action.”
The governor’s office added that Gianforte was “grateful to be back in Montana” and that the Republican planned “to survey damage and meet with residents and local officials about recovering and rebuilding.” Gianforte appeared at a briefing in the town of Gardiner on Friday.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Saturday.
Severe flooding has coursed through the region and swept away homes, bridges and roadways. Montana National Guard soldiers have been deployed throughout the Yellowstone region, while Red Cross officials are operating evacuation centers across the area.
The flooding, a mix of torrential rain and snow melt in the southwestern corner of the state, especially impacted Yellowstone National Park, where about 10,000 visitors were evacuated and at least 88 more were airlifted by the Montana National Guard from campsites and surrounding towns. No deaths or serious injuries were reported near the park, a beloved tourist attraction that covers 2.2 million acres.
The unpredictable explosion of water caused dramatic river rises that shattered century-old records. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed last week that the flooding along the Yellowstone River was a 1-in-500-year event. The Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, Mont., rose six feet between last Sunday and Monday to its highest level on record, several feet above the previous high mark from 1918.
On Friday, Gianforte made his first public appearance since returning from Italy, joining officials such as Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on a river bank in Gardiner overlooking the Yellowstone River. The governor acknowledged that while it would take time to clean up and rebuild, efforts were already underway to repair damaged infrastructure.
“I understand the tragedy that has occurred. It’s wiped out businesses, and with them livelihoods here in the community,” Gianforte said, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. “That’s why [to] get this park entrance open as quickly as possible, it’s so important.”
Yellowstone National Park will partially reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday.