One Dead, About 15 Missing in Grand Canyon Flash Flood

The Flood at Bright Angel Canyon

One person died and about 15 people were missing or unaccounted for after a flash flood swept through Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Park Service.

The park service said the body of a 46-year-old man was recovered on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. It gave no further details about him.

CNN reported that an earlier figure of 20 people missing or unaccounted for was described by the park service as a working estimate. Park spokesperson Joelle Baird told the New York Times that those possibly missing were either on a backcountry itinerary in the inner canyon or believed to be day hiking in the North Kaibab and Phantom Ranch area.

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Evacuations and Searches

Park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety had evacuated more than 60 people as of Sunday morning, the Guardian reported. CNN put the figure at at least 62 as of Sunday afternoon, citing a park statement.

The two agencies flew helicopter searches over the North Kaibab Trail and the Colorado River, from the mouth of Bright Angel Creek to Deer Creek Narrows, on Sunday. Baird told the Times that no missing individuals were found.

David Gregory, hiking with a small group when the flooding hit, was flown out by helicopter and taken to a local high school before being given a hotel room. "We realized the creek near camp was black with debris and flowing rapidly," he told CNN.

Parth Desai scrambled into a patch of cacti after a colleague shouted "up, up, up, up" as a four foot wall of debris rushed toward them near Phantom Ranch. His group was later rescued. A Red Cross spokesperson told CNN affiliate KTVK/KPHO that one couple fleeing to their cabin could see that bridges they had crossed 15 minutes earlier had been washed away.

Damage and Closures

The flood pushed large boulders into the Colorado River and knocked out the sole water pipeline serving the park, which the Guardian said supports up to 6 million visitors a year and about 1,600 residents. CNN reported the pipeline supplies drinking water and fire suppression for all facilities on the South Rim. The system had been undergoing a $208m upgrade since 2023.

From Monday, tourists cannot stay overnight at the park's lodges and hotels, and residents have been asked to conserve water. Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, and the entire North Kaibab Trail from its trailhead to Phantom Ranch are closed until further notice.

Nearly all footbridges over Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, and the Colorado River is closed to river traffic as metal structures and debris enter the water.

The Weather Behind It

Justin Johndrow, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Flagstaff, told the Associated Press that about half an inch to one inch of rain fell in roughly 30 minutes in a rocky area with a steep drop in elevation.

He said the flooding happened on the north side of the canyon, where Bright Angel Creek runs from the North Rim down to the Colorado River, falling about 6,000ft.

More rain and thunderstorms were possible in the area into Monday. The sources do not say when the missing will be accounted for, when water service will be restored, or how long the closures will last.