After the devastating floods in the famous Yellowstone National Park and in adjacent areas, US rescue workers brought dozens of people to safety by helicopter.

The Montana State National Guard said it recovered 87 people by helicopter this week.

Search and rescue operations totaled 41 flight hours.

Yellowstone National Park is currently completely closed after heavy rains and snowmelt devastated large parts of the north of the 9000 square kilometer area in just a few days.

Pictures released by the park administration showed that large parts of the paved road were washed away by the water masses.

Parts of America's oldest national park are likely to remain closed for the rest of the year due to flood damage.

The park administration said it was trying to repair the damaged roads quickly.

"However, it is likely that road sections in northern Yellowstone may not reopen this season." The national park, and in particular the famous Old Faithful geyser, attracted more than 4.8 million visitors last year.

The floods had caused significant damage in the states of Wyoming and Montana.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a state of emergency on Tuesday "to help affected communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible."