The flash floods that swept through Death Valley National Park shut down the park, including all roads entering and exiting the park, as well as the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
About 1,000 people are stranded in the park, according to park officials. No injuries were reported.
The park received 1.7 inches of rain Friday morning, which is an entire year of rain for the region in a matter of hours. Annual rainfall for the park is 2 inches.
“Route 190 is closed and other roads in the park may be impacted or impassable due to flash flooding,” a post on Death Valley National Park’s Facebook account warned. “Exercise extreme caution.”
Caltrans estimated it will take about four to six hours for the roads to reopen.
“Caltrans and National Park Service crews are working to clear ‘administrative use’ lanes out of the park,” Abigail Wines, spokeswoman for Death Valley National Park, told SFGATE. “Some vehicles were able to exit via CA-190 to Death Valley Junction, depending on what type of vehicle they have.”
This is the second flood to hit the national park this week. On Monday, a flash flood swept through a car off Highway 190, overwhelming it with debris.
It is not yet known when Route 190 or the park will reopen.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
