20 Missing After Flash Flood Tears Through the Grand Canyon. Here’s What We Know.

A violent flash flood tore through the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Saturday, August 29th, destroying nearly every footbridge across Bright Angel Creek and forcing the evacuation of 62 people, mostly by helicopter. More than 20 hikers and backpackers are missing, the National Park Service said.

The flood hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area at about 2:30 p.m. Additional evacuations are ongoing from the Cottonwood Cacmpground. The park says so far, no injuries have been reported.

Evacuees were flown to the South Rim and taken to the Maswik Lodge cafeteria, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance, per the park service.

National Park Service Asking for Help Locating Missing Hikers

The National Park Service is asking the public for help accounting for “more than 20 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for” in the flood corridor, which runs from the North Kaibab Trailhead down through Cottonwood Campground, the narrow section known as The Box, and Phantom Ranch.

If you know someone who was hiking or camping in that corridor on Friday, or if you were there yourself and made it out, the park asks you to call the NPS Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009. Useful details include the person’s name, approximate location, travel plans, group size, and what they were wearing or carrying. Tips can be made anonymously.

What the Flood Destroyed at Phantom Ranch

The park service says the flood caused significant damage to trails, bridges, utilities, and facilities throughout Bright Angel Canyon. “Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating hiker access across the creek,” the park said. Metal structures and debris were swept into the Colorado River.

Photos from the scene show the creek corridor buried in mud and rock, with only the stone pylons of a footbridge left standing, CBS News reported.

Grand Canyon Closures: Phantom Ranch, North Kaibab Trail, and the Colorado River

The following are closed until further notice, with no estimated reopening date, according to the park service:

• Phantom Ranch, including the canteen and cabins
• Bright Angel Campground
• The entire North Kaibab Trail, from the trailhead to Phantom Ranch
• Black Bridge and Silver Bridge, the two Colorado River crossings
• The Colorado River through the area, which is closed to river traffic, KNAU reported

The closures cut the canyon’s famous rim-to-rim route in half. Anyone with an upcoming river trip should contact their commercial outfitter or the NPS river permits office for trip-specific information, the park said.

The Grand Canyon NPS Warns More Storms Are Possible

The park service warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rain were possible through the weekend, bringing the risk of further flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall, and rapidly changing trail and river conditions. Monsoon-season flash floods are among the deadliest hazards in canyon country precisely because they arrive with little warning: the rain that builds a flood can fall miles from where the water hits.

This is a developing story, and we will update it as the park releases new information, especially on the effort to account for everyone who was in the corridor.

Sources

• NPS: Significant Flash Flooding Closes Phantom Ranch and North Kaibab Trail (primary)
• NPS: Public Assistance Requested to Account for Individuals Following Grand Canyon Flash Flood (primary)
• Arizona’s Family: Dozens rescued, infrastructure damaged after flash flooding hits Grand Canyon
• CBS News: Dozens evacuated from parts of the Grand Canyon after flash floods
• KNAU: Flash flooding in the Grand Canyon prompts evacuations and Colorado River closure

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