Flash flooding ravages East Thermopolis; homes damaged, gas line ruptured

THERMOPOLIS (WNE) — Last Wednesday night, a flood swept through East Thermopolis, resulting in significant damage.

An estimated 4 inches of rain fell in roughly an hour, causing a surge of water that submerged the area of C Avenue and stranded at least one resident in her home. Once water levels began to decrease, Thermopolis Police Chief Pat Cornwell made his way to the woman's home to evacuate her, a dog and a pet rabbit. 

The water relocated the woman's vehicle that was found some distance from its parking spot.

Crews were busy throughout the night dealing with emergency repairs, including a ruptured natural gas line.

Bridges, roads, fences and more were damaged. A wood pile at one resident's home was scattered throughout the street and into a grassy area along the Bighorn River. Mud and debris covered the area the following morning. One resident hired helpers to shovel the mess out of his shop.

The Bighorn River was saturated with red dirt and debris, resulting in the Town of Thermopolis Public Works Department requesting residents to refrain from yard watering and excessive water use for a few days. Normal household use was not affected. 

The flash floods caused an over saturation of red dirt in the river. That, along with the construction project on one of the two clarifiers at the water plant, resulted in the reduced production of water for customers.

On Saturday, July 18 customers were notified they could resume normal usage.

With the ground being saturated, the National Weather Service issued warnings regarding the potential for additional flooding with forecasted heavy rain.

This story was published on July 23, 2026.

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