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Flash flood hits Grand Canyon
A flash flood hit Grand Canyon National Park’s Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area on Aug 29, with the National Park Service saying on Aug 30 that more than 20 people may be missing.
“More than 20 people may be missing after Grand Canyon flash flood LOS ANGELES - More than 20 people may be missing”
The flood began about 2.30pm local time on Aug 29, and as of the morning of Aug 30 the park service said 62 people have been evacuated while others were scheduled to be evacuated.
The San Francisco Chronicle described strong thunderstorms dropping about two-thirds of an inch of rain in 15 minutes atop recently burned areas around 2:30 p.m., sending a slurry of mud and debris rushing through the canyon.
The San Francisco Chronicle also said floodwaters rose more than 5 feet in 10 minutes and destroyed bridges across Bright Angel Creek, forcing the closure of one of the park’s most difficult trails.
The National Park Service warned that more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were possible through Aug 31, possibly leading to “additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and changing trail and river conditions.”
Evacuations, closures, and tips
The National Park Service said on Sunday morning that 62 campers and hikers were airlifted out of the area, and an update released Sunday afternoon indicated more than 20 people could be missing or unaccounted for.
In that update, the park service said, “Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, are continuing evacuation and response efforts and working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area.”
The park service asked anyone who knew of hikers or backpackers in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone with a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB).
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that park officials closed Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel campground, the Phantom Ranch canteen and cabins along with the North Kaibab Trail, and it said the Colorado River was shut down to traffic after metal structures and other debris entered the waterway.
The ABC News update put the missing count at “at least 15 individuals ‘who may be missing or unaccounted’” and said evacuees were being taken to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance.
Rain risk and river hazards
The San Francisco Chronicle said a flash flood watch remained in effect in the Grand Canyon through Monday as forecasters warned of dangerous downpours in Arizona and Utah.
“1.17 inches of rain between 2 and 3 p.m. Saturday”
It also reported that a weather station along Bright Angel Creek measured 1.17 inches of rain between 2 and 3 p.m. Saturday, far exceeding the National Weather Service’s flash flood guidance for the Grand Canyon.
The San Francisco Chronicle added that a U.S. Geological Survey gauge showed the Colorado River rose 8 feet in one hour as floodwaters rushed by, and it said waters on Bright Angel Creek increased by more than 5 feet in 10 minutes before the sensor was damaged by flooding.
The Straits Times said the park service asked the public for any information about the missing, as well as any hikers who were in the area, and it noted that no injuries have been reported so far.
The San Francisco Chronicle quoted the park service warning that it was nearly impossible to get and keep a signal at Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon, Arizona Strip, and area tribal lands, while “Satellite phones are being tested with some success in places outside of the narrowest portions of the canyon.”