More than 20 people could still be unaccounted for after a powerful flash flood swept through a remote section of the Grand Canyon, leading the National Park Service to issue an urgent request for help from the public.
Grand Canyon National Park said that, as of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area, where severe flooding occurred on Aug. 29.
Authorities are now working to determine who may have been in the flood zone and are asking anyone with information to help account for more than 20 people who may have been in the area.
“Additional evacuations are planned today,” the park said, while cautioning that more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall could develop Sunday and Monday, increasing the risk of additional flash flooding, debris flows and rockfall.
Floodwater and debris are visible in Bright Angel Canyon following a major flash-flood event near Phantom Ranch on Aug. 29, 2026. (J. Thompson/NPS Photo)
According to the National Park Service, the flooding hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Aug. 29, destroying nearly all of the footbridges over Bright Angel Creek.
Park personnel and the Arizona Department of Public Safety remain involved in evacuation and emergency response efforts as crews continue searching for and accounting for anyone who may have been caught in the affected corridor.
Muddy floodwater and debris are seen near the entrance to the Phantom Ranger Station after flash flooding moved through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area. (X/@GrandCanyonNPS)
Officials are asking anyone with information about hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along Bright Angel Creek that day to contact investigators.
The request also applies to anyone with a campground reservation in the affected area.
The National Park Service said it is trying to identify people who may have been traveling on the North Kaibab Trail between the North Kaibab Trailhead and Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground or traveling through an area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.
The agency did not release details about the people who may be missing or unaccounted for, including whether they were hikers, campers or park visitors with reservations in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.
