Flooding 7/31, 8/5/22, and Park Reopening

[trailhound]

This picture was in the LA Times this morning. It appears to be the Furnace Creek Inn.

[Beardilocks]

I was reading somewhere on FB that there are still people stuck in Stovepipe. Previous reports stated that CHP was up in helicopters looking for anyone stranded and the Navy was running flights out of China Lake looking for folks as well.


Latest from NPS:

"Hard work from road crews allowed visitors who were previously unable to leave the area hotels to be able to carefully drive out with law enforcement escorts. Highway 190 is expected to reopen between Furnace Creek and Pahrump by Tuesday.

Aerial searches are underway to ensure that there are no stranded vehicles in remote areas of the park. At this time, there are no reported stranded visitors on park roadways and no reported injuries from this incident.

In most areas, water has receded, leaving behind extensive mud and gravel deposits. Assessments are still being made, but what we do know about current conditions includes:

⚠️Highway 190: areas of undercutting, complete shoulder loss, and asphalt damage. About 20 palm trees fell into the roadway by the Inn at Furnace Creek. Debris flows in numerous areas, and floodwaters still over the road at Devils Cornfield as of this morning. California Department of Transportation crews are working hard to clear areas for travel, with estimates of a partial opening by Tuesday.
⚠️Badwater Basin Road: large debris flows
⚠️North Highway: asphalt damage
⚠️Beatty Cutoff/Mud Canyon roads: major asphalt damage and undercutting
⚠️Artists Drive: debris flows
⚠️Titus Canyon Road: washouts
⚠️Emigrant Canyon to Wildrose: debris on roadway
⚠️Lower Wildrose Road: damage to roadway
⚠️20 Mule Team Canyon Road: washouts
⚠️Salt Creek Road: flooding on roadway
⚠️Cottonwood/Marble Road: extensive flooding

With over 1,000 miles of roadway in the park, and 3.4 million acres, this is not an exhaustive list and it will take time to get a full assessment of the damage. Due to access issues, we do not have updates for many sections of the park, including Scotty’s Castle. "


My biggest worry is that they will just close and gate off any damaged dirt roads. So few are left in the park at this point...

[Beardilocks]

Best Photos are here:

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery....2D17EC54A0

[TacoLand]

My biggest worry is that they will just close and gate off any damaged dirt roads.  So few are left in the park at this point...

Having trouble coming up with any roads off the top of my head that have been permanently closed in the last 20 years in DVNP, despite numerous instances of catastrophic flash flooding (incl. destroying Scotty's Castle and Grapevine Canyon).

Not saying that there haven't been, it's just hard to remember things sometimes when you're my age.

Which ones am I forgetting?

[Beardilocks]

I can't name any off the top of my head, but I was referring more to backcountry dirt roads. I remember discussing it with a LEO ranger there several years back, that they were potentially no longer planning to repair or maintain some dirt roads. Trail Canyon was mentioned specifically.

If they don't gate them, the 4WD community will always repair them...

[Beardilocks]

Latest updates from NPS state that (with the exception of 190) it will take months to clear the roads in the park. I can only assume that they mean the PAVED roads.

I'm planning on spending there this winter, so it'll be interesting to see what backcountry routes are still closed by then...

Latest from NPS:

"Update 8/7/2022 at 2:00 p.m. PST
Rain this weekend was a historic event, with nearly a year’s worth of rain falling in three hours. The rain caused widespread damage and closure of all park roads.
"The heavy rain that caused the devastating flooding at Death Valley was an extremely rare, 1000-year event, says Daniel Berc, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Las Vegas.
⚠️ Many miles of roadway are known to have moderate to severe asphalt damage with hundreds of miles of roadways impacted by debris. Road conditions are still being assessed, as damage makes access to some areas impossible by vehicle.
Yesterday’s aerial surveys by a Naval Weapons Station China Lake helicopter crew were able to do a thorough search and located several vehicles in remote areas of the park. Rangers were able to contact these visitors and ensure that everyone was ok.
California Department of Transportation expects to reopen portions of Highway 190 by Tuesday, allowing for travel between Pahrump, NV and the park’s residential and administrative area at Cow Creek. This will include access to the park’s visitor center at Furnace Creek, as well as the private hotels at Furnace Creek.
⚠️ Park roads are expected to remain closed for days to months depending on the severity of damage.
To date, there are no reported injuries from visitors or park residents, and people who were previously sheltering in place have been able to carefully travel out through the damaged roadways.
⚠️ No park roads are currently open to recreational travel due to ongoing safety concerns and active road work.
“Death Valley is an incredible place of extremes,” said park superintendent Mike Reynolds. “It is the hottest place in the world, and the driest place in North America. This week’s 1,000 year flood is another example of this extreme environment. With climate change models predicting more frequent and more intense storms, this is a place where you can see climate change in action!”

[Beardilocks]

New photo gallery @NPS


https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery....2D17EC54A0

[DeathValleyDazed]

Thanks for the flood photo links. Hoping Scotty's Castle was spared this time.

[Beardilocks]

First News Crew I've seen in there:

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/08/10/dea...zqFrBpFj9o

Rather boring footage of Daylight Pass.  But the reporter says that access roads to many of the most popular spots in the park could take "months or even a year" to open.  

That doesn't bode well for backcountry routes being open this winter or for dispersed camping once the camping season gets rolling again.

[netllama]

First News Crew I've seen in there:

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/08/10/dea...zqFrBpFj9o

Rather boring footage of Daylight Pass.  But the reporter says that access roads to many of the most popular spots in the park could take "months or even a year" to open.  

That doesn't bode well for backcountry routes being open this winter or for dispersed camping once the camping season gets rolling again.

Unless the park explicitly forbids access to back country roads, I suspect that the community will fix them. The reality is that the park didn't maintain some of the back country roads anyway.