What to Know About the Grand Canyon Flooding
A flash flood that swept through a remote area of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona this weekend destroyed footbridges and trails and led to evacuations of campgrounds. At least two bodies have been recovered, and rescuers were searching for hikers who remain missing.
Here is what is known about the flooding and its aftermath.
Heavy rainfall triggered a domino effect of destruction.
The flash-flood event began at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch areas of Grand Canyon National Park, generating an onslaught of flooding and mudslides.
Large boulders and metal structures tumbled into the Colorado River, which barreled through the inner canyon corridor. Campgrounds were damaged. Footbridges, including those spanning Bright Angel Creek, were overwhelmed and swept away, cutting off hikers and campers from routes where they could have fled to safety.
One witness said Bright Angel Creek, which runs from near the north rim of the canyon down to the Colorado River, was transformed into a torrential flow of logs and debris.
Dozens of stranded people were evacuated by helicopter, lifted from trails and damaged campgrounds and cabins in the area.
Two people are confirmed dead.
Search and rescue efforts were continuing on Monday as the authorities asked the public for information about hikers or backpackers known to have been in, or had plans to explore, the Bright Angel Canyon, the North Kaibab Trail and the area around the Phantom Ranch, a cluster of century-old stone cabins nestled at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
The National Park Service said late Sunday that it had recovered the body of a 46-year-old man near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. Officials confirmed Monday the death of a second person, but provided no additional information.
At least 62 people were evacuated after the flooding caused significant damage on Saturday afternoon, park officials said in a statement on Sunday.
More than a dozen people remained unaccounted for.
Parts of the park are closed, and more rainfall is expected.
A “hazardous weather alert” for Grand Canyon National Park is in effect through Sept. 1.
Additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall on Monday could hamper the search effort and trigger more flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and changes in trail and river conditions, the National Park Service has said.
The main entrances to Grand Canyon National Park from the north, south and east remained open on Monday, and the upper rims were available for general viewing. But officials warned that much of the park’s infrastructure, including hiking trails and footbridges, have been heavily damaged.
There are restrictions on lodging and water use. The park announced it will supply limited water at Mather Campground.
In addition to Bright Angel Lodge and Phantom Ranch, the authorities announced the closure on Monday of overnight accommodations at El Tovar, Maswik Lodge, Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village.
