Two people have died and 14 others remain missing or unaccounted for after severe flash flooding tore through parts of the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service.
The flooding struck Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, sweeping away footbridges and sending mud, debris and large boulders downstream.
The body of a 46-year-old man was discovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River on Sunday evening. So far, 62 people have been airlifted from the affected area as search and rescue operations continue.
Visitors described the situation as sudden and frightening. Nikki Baggs, who was evacuated with two friends, said the weather had initially been pleasant before heavy rain arrived and people began running for higher ground.
Baggs and her friends had just reached Phantom Ranch, a remote lodge at the bottom of the canyon, when floodwaters began moving through the area. Rangers directed them and other visitors to safer ground, where they waited for several hours before being evacuated later that night.
Other witnesses said the rain became so intense that visibility almost disappeared. Joey Martin, who was working on a pipeline project in the canyon, said a torrent of mud and debris later slammed into a nearby bridge and destroyed it.
The flooding has caused major damage across the area, including to trails and water infrastructure. Preliminary assessments suggest around 40% of the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies visitors and roughly 2,500 residents, was damaged or destroyed.
Authorities have closed affected trails and suspended overnight guest lodging on the South Rim until further notice because of the damage to the park’s water system.
The National Park Service said search efforts are continuing and has asked anyone with information about hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor at the time of the flooding to come forward.
More thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are also forecast, raising the risk of further flash floods, debris flows, rockfalls and changing trail conditions.