The National Park Service reported Sunday that approximately 15 people are missing or unaccounted for following a flash flood in the Grand Canyon. The flood occurred Saturday afternoon in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area, causing significant damage to park infrastructure and prompting the evacuation of dozens of visitors. Search and rescue operations involving helicopters are ongoing to locate hikers who may have been in the affected corridors.
The flash flood began around 2:30 p.m. Saturday after heavy rainfall, which the National Weather Service recorded at one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch within 30 minutes. According to the park's communications office, the rain led to heavy creek flow in the Bright Angel Creek Basin below the Dragon Bravo Fire scar. The National Park Service (NPS) originally estimated that 20 or more people were missing but later revised that number downward to approximately 15 individuals.
Rescue teams from the NPS and the Arizona Department of Public Safety evacuated 62 people from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab trail as of Sunday morning. Officials used helicopters to transport some groups to a local high school and provided hotel accommodations. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, and authorities closed the North Kaibab Trail, the Silver and Black bridges crossing the Colorado River, and the Phantom Ranch lodge until further notice.
The destruction of nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek and the closure of the Colorado River due to debris fundamentally changes how people can move through the inner canyon. Hikers who intended to cross the creek or use the popular North Kaibab Trail will find their routes physically blocked for the foreseeable future. With no estimated reopening date, this disruption affects the local tourism economy and the operations of Xanterra Travel Collection and other park concessioners that manage lodging and services at the canyon floor.
The incident sets a precedent for how the park manages sudden weather shifts following recent fire damage. The flooding was exacerbated by the Dragon Bravo Fire scar, highlighting the relationship between wildfire damage and increased flash flood risks. A flood watch remains in effect through August 31, as weather forecasts predict additional thunderstorms. The NPS is currently requesting public assistance via an Investigative Services Branch Tip Line to identify the 15 unaccounted-for individuals based on clothing descriptions and travel plans.