While no one has been reported killed or injured, waters were only starting to recede Tuesday and the full extent of the destruction wasn't yet known.
from an early wildfire season amid a persistent drought that has increased the frequency and intensity of fires that are having broader impacts. Smoke from a fire in the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona, could be seen in Colorado.
Officials in Yellowstone and in several southern Montana counties were assessing damage from the storms, which also triggered mudslides and rockslides. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster. The water toppled telephone poles, knocked over fences and carved deep fissures in the ground through a neighborhood of hundreds of houses. The power was knocked out but restored by Tuesday, though there was still no running water in affected neighborhood.
But the flooding affected the rest of the park, too, with park officials warning of yet higher flooding and potential problems with water supplies and wastewater systems at developed areas. Taylor spoke as he ferried a family of four adults from Texas, who wanted to do some more sightseeing before heading home.
In a large cracking sound heard over the river's roar, the house tipped into the waters and was pulled into the current and floated off downstream.