At least 20 hikers missing as flash flood sweeps through Grand Canyon

At least 20 hikers are missing after a flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon.

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The National Park Service was searching for people who were staying in the popular retreat areas Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch when the torrent struck Saturday.

Those being looked for include hikers who were on the North Kaibab Trail between the trailhead and Phantom Ranch, at Bright Angel Campground, or in “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.

There were 62 people evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail by Sunday morning. More evacuations from Phantom Ranch and the Cottonwood Campground were expected.

“The flash flood resulted in significant impacts to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon,” the National Park Service said in a statement. “Grand Canyon National Park staff are continuing to assess damage to trails, bridges, utilities, facilities and other infrastructure.”

Park officials reported that torrential monsoonal rains caused water levels to surge rapidly through Bright Angel Canyon around 2:30 p.m.

Dramatic footage shows a wall of muddy, chocolate-brown floodwater violently churning down the canyon floor, tearing through trail corridors and sweeping away debris, logs and vegetation.

National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue crews launched an immediate airlift response, safely evacuating over 50 individuals from the historic Phantom Ranch camping area, according to a social media post by the Grand Canyon National Park.

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Park officials shut down Phantom Ranch and the entire length of the North Kaibab Trail earlier today until further notice.

The park’s lodge operator Xanterra is currently reaching out to affected guests regarding reservation updates. Park authorities urged all visitors “not attempt to access the closed areas.”

Earlier this week, catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal killed more than 300 and left thousands more missing — including over 90 U.S. citizens.

The disaster was triggered after a high-altitude glacier broke off at 17,000 feet and plunged nearly 4,000 feet into Tibet’s Lhende Khola river valley. The falling debris temporarily dammed the river before bursting, unleashing a destructive slurry of mud, ice and rock that tore through the region below.

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