The flash flood began in Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the Colorado River, about 2:30 pm on Saturday, with torrents of water wiping out footbridges over the creek and significantly altering the landscape.
Colorado: More than 20 people are reportedly missing after a major flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park in the United States. The sudden flooding hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, sweeping large boulders, metal structures, and other debris into the Colorado River that runs through it, the National Park Service said.
The service said it was working with Arizona authorities to evacuate people and account for individuals in the affected area and asked the public for any information about the missing, as well as any hikers who were in the area.
The flash flood began in Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the Colorado River, about 2:30 pm on Saturday, with torrents of water wiping out footbridges over the creek and significantly altering the landscape. The videos from the area show that the flooding appears to have widened the creek bed and created what appeared to be a new river rapid.
“This is a reminder of what a dynamic and active landscape the Grand Canyon is,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Centre for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.
What Caused Flash Floods
One of the survivors, Erica Viola, told Associated Press that she was at Bright Angel Campground when the rain started Saturday afternoon, and she and about 50 other hikers watched the creek rise and then debris start to flow by, including what looked like a bunkhouse.
The group was taken by helicopter to safety, ending her adventure two days early, she said.
About half an inch to 1 inch (1 centimetre to 2.5 centimetres) of rain fell within about 30 minutes in the rocky area where there’s a steep drop in elevation, said National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Johndrow in Flagstaff.
“Most of it ran off instantly,” Johndrow said.
He said the flooding happened on the north side of the Grand Canyon, where Bright Angel Creek comes from the North Rim down to the Colorado River, dropping around 6,000 feet (1,828 meters).
Over 60 Evacuated
As of Sunday morning, 62 people have been evacuated from Phantom Ranch, which has a historic canteen and dorms and is a common spot for rafters to get off and on the river, and others were scheduled to be evacuated, it said. No injuries have been reported so far.
The service warned that more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were possible through Monday, possibly leading to “additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall, and changing trail and river conditions.”
Meanwhile, popular tourist spots including the Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch and parts of the North Kaibab trail remained closed on Sunday while park officials surveyed the damage. Rafting trips on the Colorado River also have been halted for now.
