Learning the lessons of Yellowstone flooding: University researchers scramble and capture data

On the night of June 12, 2022, a storm system began dumping rain on the Beartooth Range of northern Wyoming and southern Montana. Over the next 24 hours, about four inches fell on the still snow-covered peaks of the northern Rockies. The rain-on-snow effect drove a rapid loss of mountain snowpack. Because of this, streams and rivers quickly swelled out of their banks, and quiet mountain towns were slammed with flash floodwaters. Bridges, roads and homes in and around Yellowstone National Park were swept away in the torrent, isolating communities and stranding tourists.

Teams of first responder...