One person has died and about 15 people remained missing or unaccounted for after a major flash flood struck Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the National Park Service said Sunday. The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River as search, accounting and evacuation operations continued.
The flood began at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, after heavy rain over the inner canyon. Park officials said 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail by Sunday morning, with the Arizona Department of Public Safety supporting additional removals. The park asked anyone with information about hikers, backpackers or campers in the affected corridor to contact its investigative service.
The torrent carried boulders, mud and metal structures into the Colorado River, destroyed footbridges along Bright Angel Creek and extensively damaged trails and other infrastructure. The National Park Service closed Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and the entire North Kaibab Trail. Officials said the fast-moving water altered the creek channel and affected rapids downstream.
Flooding also disabled the Transcanyon Waterline, the principal system supplying water to visitors and residents in the park. Grand Canyon officials announced Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim from noon Monday and suspended overnight stays at park lodges and hotels. Year-round residents were asked to conserve water while crews assess the line and limited reserves.
The park said watersheds affected by the earlier Dragon Bravo Fire face heightened flash-flood and debris-flow danger during monsoon storms. Burned slopes absorb less rainfall, allowing water, ash, rocks and fallen trees to rush through steep drainages within minutes. Officials have not yet issued a final assessment connecting the fire scar to this flood, and the full scale of damage remains under review.
Search teams were continuing to reconcile campground reservations and travel plans with people confirmed safe, meaning the number unaccounted for could change. The American Red Cross was assisting evacuees on the South Rim, while park managers warned visitors to avoid closed areas and monitor official alerts. Restoring access and the water system will depend on inspections after conditions become safe.
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