More than 20 hikers and backpackers traveling through Arizona’s Grand Canyon are unaccounted for after sudden flash flooding swept through parts of the national park.
The flooding struck sections of the iconic canyon at about 2:30pm on Saturday, prompting authorities to launch a search for at least 20 people who have not yet been located.
Officials believe the missing hikers may have been on trails near Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area, a popular stop deep inside the park.
Authorities are also appealing to the public for help identifying anyone who was traveling near the North Kaibab Trail, particularly between the North Kaibab Trailhead and Phantom Ranch.
That request includes people who may have been staying at Bright Angel Campground, as well as anyone who was traveling through or camping in the area known as “the Box,” north of Phantom Ranch.
Officials have not released the identities of the missing people, and it remains unclear where they are from.
Separately, 62 people were evacuated from the park on Saturday as floodwaters created dangerous conditions.
The flash flooding also destroyed every footbridge over Bright Angel Creek, leaving pedestrians unable to cross the swollen waterway.
The National Park Service said in a statement: ‘Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, are continuing evacuation and response efforts and working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area.’
The missing hikers are believed to have been trekking on routes near the Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area of the national park
All footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed in the freak weather event, meaning that pedestrians cannot get across the creek, which has flooded
Debris is seen being taken down stream during the flash flooding
Horrific videos from the scene in the Grand Canyon showed mudslides tearing through the landscape, as hikers filmed from a suspended bridge above.
Large mounds of debris were also seen floating on the brown water.
Grand Canyon historian Tom Martin wrote on Facebook that the debris flow out of Bright Angel Creek – including sediment, trees, bridges and structures – had formed a dam that raised the effective height of the Colorado River by about eight feet.
Amid the devastation, hiker David J Gregory shared video footage from an Arizona State Trooper helicopter that rescued his group in coordination with the National Parks Service.
He told on Facebook how his hiking group had been brought to a local high school and were set up with a hotel at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
But the Black and Silver bridges, and traffic to the Colorado River in the area, remain closed ‘until further notice,’ due to debris in the water, authorities said.
‘There is currently no estimated reopening date for these areas and other inner canyon closures may be necessary,’ a press release said.
Over 62 people were evacuated from the spot yesterday amid the flooding – but there are at least 20 people unaccounted for
The debris flow out of Bright Angel Creek – including sediment, trees, bridges and structures – had formed a dam that raised the effective height of the Colorado River by about eight feet
In the meantime, Coconino County District Supervisor Lena Fowler said she is ‘so thankful to Governor Katie Hobbs for deploying the Arizona National Guard and to all the brave rescuers who worked to get the hikers and community members to safety.
‘Please take flash-flood warnings seriously: avoid canyons, washes, river beds and low-lying areas during storms even if the sky overhead is clear,’ she continued, noting: ‘Flash floods can arrive suddenly from rain miles away.
‘Check weather alerts before heading out, follow evacuation orders and never walk or drive through moving water,’ Fowler advised.
‘If conditions worsen, move immediately to higher ground and stay until officials say it is safe.’
Her warning came as additional storms are forecasted.
A flood watch remains in effect for parts of northern Arizona, amid a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday and a 60 percent chance on Monday.
The National Park Service said on Sunday that it is seeking information about more than 20 people who may be missing or unaccounted for in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area
The flash flooding this week came one year after the Dragon Bravo Fire burned a significant portion of the upper Bright Angel Creek watershed.
In the aftermath, the National Parks Service acknowledged there was a heightened flood risk, and installed steam gauges and other sensors upstream of Phantom Ranch to provide better warning of flash flood events.
‘We’re very worried about the risks to infrastructure at Phantom Ranch,’ Erica Byerly, who works for the US Geological Survey Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center in Flagstaff told the Arizona Daily Sun at the time.
Phantom Ranch is a popular lodge among visitors and hikers. It is located near the Grand Canyon by Bright Angel Creek.
This is a breaking news story.
