Governor Greg Gianforte on Friday hosted a public roundtable in Gardiner with U.S. Senator Steve Daines, state, and federal officials, along with civic and business leaders and residents in the wake of devastating flooding in the region.
The damage to infrastructure, including areas of Park County, Stillwater County, and Carbon County, as well as areas of Yellowstone National Park, will take a heavy toll on communities such as Gardiner that rely on tourism and recreation for livelihoods, jobs, and revenue.
“The folks I heard from today in Gardiner have a clear and simple message – Gardiner and Paradise Valley are open for business,” Gianforte said. “Let’s support them as they rebuild by bringing them our business this summer.”
Also participating in the discussion were Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly and FEMA Administrator Anne Bink.
“The flood damage in Yellowstone National Park and Gardiner is devastating. As Governor Gianforte and I met with local leaders, small businesses and community members today in Gardiner, we were encouraged by the community’s strength and resilience to get through these tough times,” Daines said. “I’m committed to working to ensure Montana communities like Gardiner get the resources they need to get back on their feet.”
U.S. Senator Jon Tester and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell met with civic leaders in Livingston on Friday to discuss helping businesses and residents with the recovery effort from the flooding.
“You know we deal with fires regularly in this state and we deal with floods too, but this is one of the biggest flood events I’ve ever seen as far as impact,” said Tester.
As flooding assessment in Park County winds down, the next area of focus shifts to recovery.
“We want to make sure we get somebody right with the county emergency managers to help them understand the steps that need to happen,” says FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell.
FEMA says their goal for residents is to make the process to receive help as seamless as possible.
