Two bodies have been recovered following torrential flooding in the Grand Canyon, federal officials said Monday.
Search and recovery efforts are ongoing in the aftermath of extensive flash flooding on Saturday along Bright Angel Canyon, which damaged critical infrastructure, including the Transcanyon Waterline, caused at least two fatalities, and left roughly 15 others missing.
“Two bodies have been recovered,” a National Park Service spokesperson told Newsweek in an email early on Monday. “Preliminary assessments indicate approximately 40% of the Transcanyon Waterline was damaged or destroyed. Forecasted weather may affect the timing and pace of operations.”
Visitors to the park in Arizona that encompasses 278 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands are being advised to remain out of the closure area as search and recovery operations continue, NPS officials said.
Impacted locations include Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and the entirety of the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch.
Federal officials, including representatives from the Department of Interior, are expected to update reporters during a press conference on Monday afternoon.
National Weather Service officials in Flagstaff said there was a 60 to 70 percent chance of thunderstorms forecasted Saturday ahead of the deadly, fast-moving storm.
“The area had received intermittent rainfall through the morning hours,” an NWS spokesperson wrote in an email.
A severe thunderstorm warning was later issued at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by a flash flood warning at 2:42 p.m. The severe thunderstorm then produced up to an inch of rain during the next 30 minutes, resulting in the flash flood in the Grand Canyon, NWS officials said.
How Did the Grand Canyon Flash Flood Turn Deadly?
The flooding began on Saturday when intense rainfall overwhelmed Bright Angel Creek, a narrow corridor that funnels water from the North Rim down to the Colorado River. Within minutes, the creek transformed into a violent torrent, sweeping debris, boulders, and mud through popular hiking and camping areas.
More than 60 people were airlifted from the canyon after footbridges were wiped out and trails became impassable. The body of a 46‑year‑old man was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids, with Arizona coroner officials on scene. A second body was recovered earlier, NPS confirmed on Monday.
Hikers described scenes of chaos as the storm intensified. Parth Desai, a physician who was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon on Saturday, said heavy rain started falling quickly without much notice.
“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” Desai told the Associated Press.
Desai, who was hiking with other doctors and a park ranger, said he was later rescued by helicopter late on Saturday after trekking to the Phantom Ranch area.
The landscape itself has changed. Torrents widened the creek bed, destroyed footbridges, and extended an existing river rapid—or possibly created a new one—altering the canyon’s interior in ways that will take months to fully assess.
Why Is the Transcanyon Waterline Failure Such a Major Crisis?
The flash flood delivered a severe blow to the park’s fragile water infrastructure. The Transcanyon Waterline, a 12‑mile pipeline that supplies potable water to 6 million annual visitors and roughly 1,600 residents of Grand Canyon Village, suffered catastrophic damage.
With 40 percent of the line destroyed, NPS says potable water is now too limited to support overnight stays. Starting from Monday, tourists cannot stay in lodges or hotels inside the park, and year‑round residents are being asked to conserve water.
“These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources,” the park said.
The pipeline has long been prone to failures, but this outage is among the most severe. While large storage tanks on the South Rim can hold water, they cannot be refilled until the pipeline is repaired.
A $208 million rehabilitation project, launched in 2023 and expected to finish next year, was already underway to modernize the aging system. Now, experts fear the timeline—and cost—could balloon.
“Heaven help us if the whole thing down there at the bottom has to be reconstructed,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, per PBS. “Where are they going to get the money?”
Which Grand Canyon Areas Are Closed and How Long Will They Stay Shut?
NPS has closed a wide swath of the inner canyon as search-and-recovery operations continue. The following areas remain shut down until further notice:
- Phantom Ranch
- Bright Angel Campground
- Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins
- North Kaibab Trail, from the trailhead to Phantom Ranch
Visitors are being asked to stay out of closure zones to avoid interfering with rescue teams and to ensure their own safety. The Arizona Department of Public Safety is assisting with additional evacuations.
Lodging remains available in Tusayan, just outside the South Rim entrance, but travel in the interior canyon is severely restricted.
Could More Dangerous Weather Hit the West Next Week?
Forecasters are monitoring a new potential threat: the remnants of a tropical storm or hurricane that could approach California in about a week.
Some models show the system bringing heavy rain, wind, and dangerous sea conditions to the West Coast. Others show it veering back into the Pacific.
Even if California avoids a direct hit, moisture from the storm could be pulled inland, adding to the already waterlogged atmosphere over the Intermountain West—including the Grand Canyon.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Cristina Diciu.