Fifteen people remained unaccounted for after dozens of people were rescued following a “significant flash food” in the Grand Canyon, according to park officials. Flash flooding inundated Bright Angel Canyon, a popular hiking trail, and Phantom Ranch areas of the park starting around 2:30 p.m. On Sunday morning, two helicopters from the National Park Service and Arizona Department of Public Safety searched the North Kaibab Trail and Colorado River from the mouth of Bright Angel Creek to Deer Creek Narrows, though no missing people were found on those flights.
The National Park Service initially said 20 or more people were missing or unaccounted for but later revised its count. As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, the National Park Service said in a previous statement, More evacuations were scheduled from Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch. A flood watch has been issued in the park through the end of the day Monday.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop throughout Sunday afternoon and evening, with conditions expected to worsen overnight into Monday. Low-water crossings may be flooded.” The entirety of the North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch, and Silver and Black Bridges are closed until further notice. The Colorado River is also closed due to debris.
Prior to the flooding, three hikers died from extreme heat in the canyon in June. Phantom Ranch is a historic lodge in the Grand Canyon National Park near the bottom of the Grand Canyon by Bright Angel Creek. The flash floods totaled one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch in 30 minutes, the National Weather Service said.
The rain caused flooding in and around the Bright Angel Creek Basin below the Dragon Bravo Fire scar, the weather service added. Heavy creek flow was ongoing as a result. The American Red Cross also opened a shelter at Grand Canyon High School in Grand Canyon Village.
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