A flash flood that struck Arizona’s Grand Canyon on Saturday disrupted access and evacuation efforts in the park’s remote inner areas. Search operations were launched to reach more than 20 people after the flooding.
The National Park Service called on anyone with information about missing people or those who could not be reached to contact the agency. The service also sought information from people who knew about hikers with campground reservations on Saturday or who had traveled through the Bright Angel Creek corridor.
62 people evacuated
The flooding affected the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas along the Colorado River. Staff at Grand Canyon National Park are continuing search and evacuation operations in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
By Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower section of the North Kaibab Trail. Officials said no injuries had been identified based on the available information.
Trails and bridges closed
Floodwaters caused severe damage to nearly all pedestrian bridges over Bright Angel Creek, one of the Colorado River’s major tributaries. Because most crossings were no longer passable, Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and the entire North Kaibab Trail were closed until further notice.
Black Bridge and Silver Bridge over the Colorado River also remain closed indefinitely. All river travel on the Colorado River has been suspended because of metal structures in the river and drifting debris.
Officials said more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were expected through Monday. They warned that these weather conditions could cause new debris flows and rockfalls.
