Grand Canyon flash flood leaves over a dozen unaccounted for, park officials say
A sudden flash flood in Arizona's Grand Canyon on Saturday afternoon has left at least 15 people missing or unaccounted for, according to the National Park Service. More than 60 individuals were evacuated from the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas, with no injuries reported as of Sunday. The flood destroyed nearly all footbridges over Bright Angel Creek and forced the closure of the Colorado River to traffic due to debris.
The flood struck a remote inner-canyon corridor where terrain descends sharply from the North Rim, and the National Weather Service noted that roughly an inch of rain fell in half an hour, much of it running off immediately into the creek. Park officials have closed Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, and the North Kaibab Trail indefinitely, while nearly all footbridges over Bright Angel Creek were destroyed and debris has forced the Colorado River to shut down to river traffic. Authorities are asking the public for information about hikers or campers who may have been in the affected area on Saturday, and additional thunderstorms were forecast through Monday.
This event could disrupt travel plans for hundreds of hikers and river runners during a peak season, while the closure of key trails and the Colorado River may affect local tourism-dependent communities near the park. The destruction of infrastructure could also strain search-and-rescue resources and delay recovery efforts. As extreme rainfall events become more frequent in arid regions, such incidents may increasingly test the preparedness of national parks and the safety of visitors in remote, steep terrain.