Yellowstone floodwaters at Montana's largest city

Floodwaters that rushed through Yellowstone National Park and surrounding communities earlier this week are moving through Montana's largest city, flooding farms and ranches and forcing the shutdown of its water treatment plant.

Debbie Meling, Billings Public Works Director said "We do believe with the predictions we are seeing in the river and what we are able to do at our plant we'll be able to start producing water again within the next -- producing quality water at a level we want to -- within the next day. But we do want to make sure we give ourselves as much time as we can to make sure everything is good."

The water in the Yellowstone River hit its highest level in nearly a century as it traveled east to Billings, Montana, home to nearly 110,000 people.It hit 16 feet on Wednesday, a foot higher than the water plant needs to work effectively.

Mike Pigg, Billings Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent said "What we are mostly concerned about is the mud. So that the silt that will be laid down and so that could affect the shelters – we have a bridge that is underwater. We have a pump station that's going on underwater too – and we are a little concerned about all of that."

The historic floodwaters raged through the nation's oldest national park earlier this week and may have forever altered the human footprint on Yellowstone's terrain and the communities that have grown around it.