A scary situation unfolded over the weekend at one of our nation’s most popular national parks. Rounds of rain at the Grand Canyon triggered major flash flooding, leaving nearly 200 hikers trapped while visiting the park’s Havasupai Falls. Arizona National Guard Communications Director Maj. Erin Hannigan with more on the rescue.
THE TAKEAWAY
- Dozens of people had to be airlifted to safety at the Grand Canyon on Saturday.
- Flash flooding caused many bridges and a metal building to be washed out.
- It is peak monsoon season in the Southwest.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona — Dozens of people needed to be airlifted as sudden flash flooding slammed Grand Canyon National Park Saturday afternoon.
Park officials said flooding began in Bright Angel Canyon around 2:30 p.m., and the National Park Service had to evacuate 50 individuals by air from the Phantom Ranch camping area.
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Coconino Overlook Looking down on the North Kaibab Trail – North Rim Grand Canyon
(Craig Zerbe / Getty Images)
The park announced the entire North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch would remain closed until further notice.
The North Kaibab Trail is a strenuous 14-mile one-way trail that descends 5,800 feet from the park’s North Rim to the Colorado River.
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A metal building was washed into the Colorado River and many bridges at Phantom Ranch were also washed out, according to reports from the National Weather Service.
The FOX Forecast Center said that while rain totals only reached 1 to 1.75 inches for the hardest-hit areas, that was enough to cause significant issues in part of the park.
Another campground reported one foot of standing water, and several trails were flooded and remain impassible. Gauges along the Colorado River spiked by as much as 9 feet as the rain began to flow through the canyon.
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Xanterra — which is the largest national park concessions management company in the U.S. — will be in touch with guests that have future Phantom Ranch reservations about the status of their reservations, according to park officials.
The Bright Angel trail goes from the South Rim all the way down to the Colorado River
((c) Salil Bhatt)
Luckily, no injuries have been reported. Officials are asking visitors to avoid closed areas until further notice.
Our affiliate FOX 10 reports that severe thunderstorms building across southern Arizona are pushing powerful outflow boundaries north toward Maricopa and Pinal counties.
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Rain totals over Grand Canyon National Park in past 24 hours.
(FOX Weather)
The storms come amid monsoon season, which happens in the Southwest from late June to September.
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Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
