More than 60 people were evacuated from the Grand Canyon after a powerful flash flood tore through Bright Angel Canyon, damaging critical infrastructure and forcing officials to indefinitely close some of the park’s most popular backcountry routes.
Grand Canyon National Park wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that a significant flash-flood event began around 2:30 p.m. local time on August 29, prompting emergency evacuations from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail.
As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been rescued, with additional evacuations planned in coordination with the National Park Service (NPS) and Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). No injuries have been reported and evacuees were transported to the South Rim where the American Red Cross was coordinating assistance.
“Additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible today and Monday,” the NPS said in a post on Facebook Sunday. “These conditions could result in additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions.”
The Grand Canyon is one of the country’s most visited national parks, drawing millions of visitors each year. Phantom Ranch is one of the park’s most sought-after destinations as it’s the only lodging option below the canyon rim, with reservations often booked months in advance.
The flooding highlights the dangers posed by sudden monsoon storms across the Southwest where heavy rainfall can rapidly transform normally manageable waterways into destructive torrents.
The incident also comes as parts of Arizona remain under flood watches and flash-flood warnings amid an active monsoon pattern.
Newsweek reached out to the Arizona DPS and the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, for comment by email Sunday.
Dangerous Flooding
Park officials said the flash flood caused extensive damage throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off access across the creek and hampering travel through the canyon.
Images shared by the park show a metal building washed into the Colorado River and multiple bridges at Phantom Ranch swept away. Floodwaters also inundated trails and campgrounds, rendering several areas impassable. River gauges along the Colorado River rose dramatically as runoff surged through the canyon system, Fox Weather reported.
The NPS warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall remain possible, raising the risk of more flash flooding, debris flows and rockfalls in coming days.
Trails Closed Indefinitely
The NPS has ordered the closure of Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch canteen and cabins, and the entire North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch until further notice.
The Black Bridge and Silver Bridge crossings over the Colorado River have also been closed.
Officials said there is currently no estimated reopening date as crews continue assessing damage to trails, bridges, utilities and other infrastructure. The Colorado River has also been closed to river traffic because debris from the flood entered the waterway.
Park authorities urged visitors to avoid all closed areas while assessments and recovery work continue.
Contact Newsweek editor for this story: Anthony Murray.