Death Valley Flooding Leaves Over 1,000 People Stuck In National Park

Record Rains Bring Rare Wildflowers To Death Valley

Photo: Getty Images

Around 500 visitors and 500 staffers found themselves trapped at Death Valley National Park in California after severe storms rolled through the area on Friday (August 5).

The storms dumped 1.46 inches of rain at Furnace Creek, just shy of the all-time record of 1.47 inches, which was set in 1988. The heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and forced park officials to close all 1,000 miles of roads within Death Valley.

Park officials said that the 1,000 people who were stranded were given lodging in Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells for the night. On Saturday morning, they were escorted out of the park by law enforcement. There were no reports of injuries, and there are no reports of missing people.

Officials said that the roads will remain closed as they work to assess the damage and begin clean-up efforts.

“I want to thank park staff, the California Department of Transportation, and other partners who are working hard to reopen major roads for travel and manage this incident,” said park superintendent Mike Reynolds. “With the severity and widespread nature of this rainfall, it will take time to rebuild and reopen everything, and we appreciate your support and patience as we continue this work.”


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content