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Search and evacuation efforts after the flood

After a flash flood in the Grand Canyon area of the U.S. state of Arizona, more than 20 people are believed to be missing or unreachable. According to the U.S. National Park Service, the flood affected the Bright Angel Canyon area and surroundings near Phantom Ranch around 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.

The National Park Service (NPS) said 62 people have been flown out of the area by helicopter so far. Officials said no injuries linked to the incident have been reported yet.

Authorities said some areas suffered serious damage after the flood, and trails in the affected sections have been closed. The NPS also asked anyone with information about hikers or backpackers in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Saturday to contact the agency.

New rain warning increases the risk

Officials said thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected on Sunday and Monday. The agency warned this could lead to additional flash floods, debris flows, rockfalls and rapid changes in trail and river conditions.

  • Some trails around Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch have been temporarily closed.
  • Evacuation and any possible search operations are expected to continue depending on weather conditions.

Why is access to the area difficult?

The Phantom Ranch area can only be reached on foot, by mule, or by rafting on the Colorado River. This limited access is making both evacuation operations and efforts to follow up on missing-person reports more difficult after the flash flood.

Grand Canyon, which receives about 5 million visitors a year, is among the most visited national parks in the United States. With conditions changing on the popular Bright Angel trail, visitors are being urged to closely follow official warnings.

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