Intense helicopter footage shows why Yellowstone National Park just closed

There are more and more extreme floods.

Sholly said on Monday that the park would be closed for at least a couple days because of the flooding. Large swaths of a road leading to the park's North Entrance were destroyed by rock and mud slides. You can see the footage from the park helicopter in the footage the park posted.

The rains and flooding were unprecedented.

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The heavy rain originated over the Pacific Ocean as a potent atmospheric river, which is a formidable band of water that flows over the Pacific Ocean and into the Western U.S. As the climate continues to warm, the rain and flooding from atmospheric rivers is getting worse.

There is more water in a warmer atmosphere. This increases the odds of powerful storms like hurricanes and mid-latitude cyclones.

According to a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, once you have more humidity in the air, you have a bigger bucket. This can cause a lot of rain. There's no doubt about it, you can release more water in a shorter period of time.

These potent rains can cause rivers to swell. The peak height of the river was over 6 feet in 24 hours. A family's home was washed into the river.

The road into the community of Gardiner was destroyed by the raging river. The town is no longer able to provide essential services.