One dead, 15 missing after major flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park

One person died and about 15 people were missing or unaccounted for after a major flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon national park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Park Service.

The flash-flood event occurred in the area of Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch, where park staff and the Arizona department of public safety had evacuated more than 60 people as of Sunday morning.

The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the park service said, without providing additional details.

“Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, and the entire North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch are closed until further notice,” the statement said.

Park officials announced the number of people who remain missing or unaccounted for in a separate statement, requesting the public to notify the government agency of information they may know about “hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor” on Saturday, as well as “anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor”.

The flood swept large boulders into the Colorado River and knocked out the sole water pipeline that serves up to 6 million visitors a year and about 1,600 residents. The pipeline and surrounding water delivery system had been undergoing a $208m upgrade since 2023. From Monday, tourists won’t be able to stay overnight at the national park’s lodges and hotels, and residents have been asked to conserve water, the park service said.

Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were also destroyed, officials said, and the Colorado River is closed to river traffic until further notice as metal structures and debris enter the river.

About half an inch to 1in (1-2.5cm) of rain fell within about 30 minutes in the rocky area where there is a steep drop in elevation, Justin Johndrow, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Flagstaff, told the Associated Press.

“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 about 6,000ft (1,800 meters).

More rain and thunderstorms were possible in the area into Monday.