Weather
Updated Monday, August 31, 6:29 p.m EST
Search and recovery efforts continue following the flooding in Grand Canyon National Park. One body has been recovered, and recovery operations for a second body are currently underway. Preliminary assessments indicate approximately 40% of the Transcanyon Waterline was damaged or destroyed. Forecasted weather may affect the timing and pace of operations.
The National Park Service posted this on its website:
August 30 Update — 6:30 PM:
As of this evening, recovery operations have been completed for a 46-year-old male near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office is currently onsite. There is no additional information to share at this time. We will provide updates as soon as available.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim beginning at noon on August 31 in response to the significant flash flooding that occurred along Bright Angel Canyon on August 29.
The flooding caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the inner canyon, including the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park. The waterline is currently not operational, leaving the park with limited water reserves and requiring significant water conservation measures to ensure available supplies can be maintained.
In response, the following measures will be enacted for the South Rim for the foreseeable future:
- Overnight Guest Lodging: Effective Monday, August 31, all park concessions will halt overnight accommodations. This includes hotel facilities operated by Xanterra, such as El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch, as well as Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. Overnight hotel accommodations located outside the park in the town of Tusayan will not be impacted by changes in park operations.
- Dry Camping: Only dry camping will be permitted. Spigot access at campgrounds on the South Rim will be turned off, though faucets in bathrooms will remain operational.
- No fires will be allowed on the South Rim and inner canyon areas. Fire restrictions prohibit all wood burning and charcoal fires, including campfires, warming fires, and charcoal barbeques. For more information on fire restrictions, visit the park’s Fire Information webpage.
- Operational Services: The park will remain open for day use. All South Rim food and beverage services, the Grand Canyon Clinic, and the Post Office will remain open. Some operations may have reduced hours.
These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources. We are asking residents and visitors to help conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth, flushing toilets selectively, washing laundry with full loads, and reporting leaks to the appropriate offices.
A powerful flash flood tore through the Grand Canyon in Arizona, leading to a search for more than 20 people. So far, dozens of people have been evacuated after rapidly flowing water with debris rushed through the Grand Canyon. The National Park Service (NPS) is now asking for the public’s help to locate the missing, as the flash flood threat will continue in the region until tomorrow. More than 60 people were trapped in the flash flood, with rescue pilots airlifting them to safety.
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The National Park Service posted this on its social media:
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE REQUESTED
The National Park Service is asking the public to provide information for more than 20 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for following a significant flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on August 29.If you know of hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, or if you had a campground reservation in the affected area, please contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch (ISB).This includes people who may have been:• Traveling the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch• Staying at Bright Angel Campground or Cottonwood Campground• Traveling through “the Box” north of Phantom RanchNPS ISB Tip Line: 888-653-0009
Please provide any information you have, including a person’s name, approximate location, travel plans, group size, clothing or backpack description, or when they were last known to be in the area. You do not have to provide your name.
62 people have been evacuated from Phantom Ranch & N Kaibab, with additional evacuations today, according to an announcement by Grand Canyon National Park. So far, no injuries or deaths have been reported, although the search for the 20 missing people continues. A total of 15 people are accounted for, and all bridges across Bright Angel Creek have been wiped out.
The Southwest’s monsoon season officially runs from June 15 to September 30, with the peak activity usually occurring through July and August. The forecast for the region remains the same for Sunday night and Monday, with the risk of more dangerous flash floods across parts of the Southwest. Many parts of Arizona, Southern Utah, and Western Colorado are under threat. The highest risk will be in Utah, where the threat of significant flooding will be at a level of three out of four.
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