Yosemite National Park reopened Monday, following a powerful wind storm that caused tremendous damage, felling giant sequoia trees and destroying homes.
But park officials cautioned that this might not be the best time to visit.
The national park was shut down on January 19 due to a massive windstorm that caused 15 giant sequoias to crash to the ground.
"Some of these trees are up to 3,000 years old,” Scott Gediman, a park spokesperson, said. "[I’ve been] talking to a lot of friends and colleagues and former employees, and nobody remembers a wind event causing this much damage."
Officials said damage to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was significant and there is "no timeline" for when the grove will reopen.
Rangers do not believe any of the named trees in the grove fell.
"Fast-forwarding to this (past) week, we’ve had an atmospheric river and a lot more storms,” said Gediman. "So, that’s resulted in more trees going through structures and homes in Yosemite Valley."
According to Yosemite, Highway 140 reopened Sunday and is currently the only way to enter the park.
Officials said that despite the park’s reopening, there will be a lot of construction going on.
"Maybe right now is not the most opportune time to see the park," Gediman noted.
Related
