A powerful flash flood tore through the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, killing at least one person and leaving roughly 15 others missing or unaccounted for, the National Park Service announced. The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. The flood struck at around 2:30 p.m. local time, hitting the Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area — a remote lodge situated at the bottom of the canyon, one of the most visited natural landmarks in the United States.
The flooding was triggered by just half an inch to one inch of rain falling within approximately 30 minutes on the Kaibab Plateau, on the canyon's North Rim. Because of the rocky terrain and a dramatic drop in elevation of some 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) down to the Colorado River, nearly all of the rainfall ran off almost instantly, creating a devastating wall of water and debris. The flood swept large boulders into the Colorado River, destroyed nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek, and knocked out the sole water pipeline serving up to six million annual visitors and around 1,600 park residents. That pipeline had been undergoing a $208 million upgrade since 2023. River traffic on the Colorado has been suspended until further notice.
More than 62 people were airlifted to safety as park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety worked to evacuate the area. Among those rescued was Nikki Baggs, 41, who described the experience as "terrifying." She said the day had begun beautifully before people suddenly started screaming and running. She and her friends scrambled to higher ground at the instruction of park rangers, waiting for hours on a ledge before being airlifted out around 9:30 p.m. local time. "It was a really uniquely coordinated effort," she said. "That's what made us feel safe about all of it in an unsafe situation."
Park officials have closed Phantom Ranch, the Bright Angel Campground, and the entire North Kaibab Trail until further notice, and are urging anyone with information about hikers or backpackers in the inner canyon on Saturday to come forward. Overnight accommodation at the park's lodges and hotels will be unavailable from Monday, and residents have been asked to conserve water. Additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were forecast through Monday, raising concerns about further flash flooding, debris flows, and rockfall.
The scale of the damage underscores the extreme vulnerability of the Grand Canyon's infrastructure and visitors to sudden weather events. With 15 people still unaccounted for and adverse conditions continuing, rescue and recovery operations remain ongoing.