Yosemite National Park remains closed after wind storm knocked down trees, caused millions of dollars in damage
Yosemite National Park will remain closed at least until early next week following a pwerful windstorm Tuesday that toppled trees and caused millions of dollars in damage to vehicles, homes and park facilities.
No injuries were reported as a result of the “Mono” wind event, which swept across the region in east-central California last week and caused widespread power outages.
The “high wind event” left “downed trees, debris and damage to park facilities,” Yosemite officials tweeted Tuesday. Later that day, the park said it was assessing damage assessments, clearing trees and repairing facilities. The park, which tweeted pictures of trees that had fallen on homes and trucks, is tentatively set to open Tuesday.
Among the trees knocked down were two giant sequoias, Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman told the Sacramento Bee. He estimated damage to facilities, employee homes and vehicles in the millions of dollars, with the park’s Wawana community hit hardest. The event was the biggest in terms of wind speed and damage in at least 25 years, Gediman said.
Yosemite National Park will remain closed at least until Tuesday, January 26, as a result of damage to park facilities caused by this week’s Mono wind event. pic.twitter.com/bKbhnwBFOK
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) January 21, 2021
Fortunately, the park is open only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. because of California’s COVID-19 related stay-at-home order, limiting the risk of injury.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yosemite: National Park remains closed at least until Tuesday after wind storm