Come Hell or High Water | Sara Bonk

Come Hell or High Water

Sara Bonk

On 13 June, 2022, southwestern Montana was hit with a historic flood that left swaths of the area devastated. This was a complete turnaround from the previous year when the same area was partially evacuated due to a devastating wildfire season that threatened to consume everything in its path. One of the towns affected by this turn of events was the gateway town of Red Lodge. About one hour north of Yellowstone National Park, Red Lodge relies heavily on tourism to survive the months until the local ski hill opens, or until the next summer comes when tourists flock to the small town once again. For the flood to have occurred so early into the tourist season, it left the town’s already fragile post-COVID-19 economy devastated.

Residents who live in the areas hammered by the flood recall being awoken before dawn in order to evacuate, with some having to fight their way out of already heavily flooded homes. By the early afternoon, whole houses were either completely flooded or even washed away by the normally docile creek. The aftermath of the flood was so severe that the governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, declared a state of emergency, with President Joe Biden promising FEMA funds to the damaged areas. Red Lodge was not the only area to be affected though, as other gateway towns of Yellowstone, such as Gardiner, Cooke City, and other nearby towns, was either left completely isolated due to washed out roads, or had to be airlifted out to safety. Yellowstone National Park was also shut down for a week due to the flood originating from within the borders of the iconic park.

Sadly, townspeople were not the only ones that were distressed. Due to the unpredictable nature of the flood, many campers in the nearby sites were also trapped in the mountains after whole roads and bridges were washed away. In order to bring these people to safety, the Montana Forest Service called in extra help through the National Guard with even the Army coming to town to help.

Once the floodwaters went down, and the displaced residents were able to get back into their houses, activists took to the streets in order to help those in need. Hundreds of volunteers from as far as the nearest city of Billings (about an hour away down in The Valley) flooded Red Lodge lugging buckets, tool kits, or just simply offering to help with any kind of manual labour. Basements that were previously submerged to the ceiling with muddy water were now being cleared out in a matter of hours. It would not be possible if it were not for the people who helped lug bucket after bucket of mud and sand, all the while hauling out ruined furniture and destroyed walls. Others simply offered food, water, and even rooms for those who were displaced and had nowhere else to stay. This show of solidarity within the town’s community brought up the well-known phrase of “come hell or high water”, and perfectly encapsulates the year that Red Lodge residents had to handle.

Today, many homes are still enduring the renovation process or being completely rebuilt. Roads are slowly but surely being restored, and the town continues to ensure that it is open and ready to take in the last stragglers of the tourist season. Even though it might take years for Red Lodge to completely recover, the town remains optimistic, believing that the hell and the water have passed for good.