Grand Canyon Flash Flood Kills One, About 15 Missing

The Flood at Bright Angel Canyon

A flash flood swept through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area at the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, according to the National Park Service.

One person has died. Park officials said Sunday night that the body of a 46-year-old man was recovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. CNN reported the death as flood related; CBS News said the park did not state whether the man was among the missing or whether his death was linked to the flooding.

About 15 people may be missing or unaccounted for. The Park Service said an earlier figure of more than 20 was a working estimate, and told CBS News the number could change.

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Evacuations and Damage

At least 62 people had been evacuated as of Sunday, the Park Service said, with more scheduled to be taken out of Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The BBC reported that those 62 were airlifted out. Evacuees were taken to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance.

Nikki Baggs, 41, told the BBC she and two friends had just dropped their bags at a Phantom Ranch cabin when the water came through. "It was a beautiful day and then people were screaming, running," she said. They waited on a ledge for hours before being evacuated at about 9:30 p.m.

David Gregory, hiking with a small group, told CNN: "We realized the creek near camp was black with debris and flowing rapidly."

Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, the Park Service said, cutting off access across the creek. The Associated Press, cited by CNN, reported that the floodwaters widened the creek bed and appeared to form a new river rapid.

Closures and Water Supply

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, the entire North Kaibab Trail and the Black and Silver bridges over the Colorado River are closed until further notice. The river itself is closed to traffic because metal structures and debris entered the water. No reopening date has been given.

The flooding also damaged the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water to the park. CNN reported the line provides drinking water and fire suppression for all South Rim facilities, leaving the park with limited reserves ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend.

National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Johndrow in Flagstaff told the Associated Press that half an inch to an inch of rain fell in about 30 minutes on steep, rocky ground. "Most of it ran off instantly," he said. CNN reported about an inch of rain over 24 hours.

The Park Service warned that further thunderstorms could bring more flooding, debris flows and rockfall, and asked anyone who knows of hikers who were in the corridor on Saturday to contact its tip line.