Reuters: At least two people were killed and as many as 20 or more others were unaccounted for after flash flooding struck the Grand Canyon in Arizona over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of dozens of hikers by helicopter, the National Park Service said.
Heavy rains on Saturday sent a cascade of mud, boulders and debris rushing through Bright Angel Creek, a major side canyon that runs from the park’s North Rim to the Colorado River, sweeping away trails, foot bridges and other infrastructure.
On Monday, the National Park Service confirmed that the bodies of two flood victims had been recovered, one of them a 46-year-old man whose remains were found on Sunday, while search-and-recovery operations continued along the canyon floor.
The precise number of people still missing two days after heavy downpours transformed the Bright Angel Creek area of the canyon into a raging torrent was unclear. But the Park Service said in a social media post on Sunday that the agency was seeking “information about more than 20 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for” following Saturday’s flood.
As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch, an historic lodge and campground near the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River, and the North Kaibab Trail, which follows the creek through the canyon floor, according to the Park Service. “The flooding caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the inner canyon, including the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park,” the Park Service said.
With the system temporarily knocked out of operation, the park was left with limited water reserves, requiring significant conservation measures for park facilities, according to the agency.
At Least 2 Dead In Grand Canyon Flooding; Park Service Says 20-Plus May be Missing
