About 15 people may be missing at the Grand Canyon after a flash flood tore through the national park, destroying footbridges and forcing the evacuation of dozens of hikers and campers, according to park officials.
The park service said a previous figure of 20 missing or unaccounted for was a working estimate
The “significant flash-flood event” occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area Saturday, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
As of Sunday afternoon, at least 62 people have been evacuated, the Grand Canyon National Park said in a statement.
Additional evacuations are planned Sunday in a coordinated effort between Grand Canyon National Park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Nepal warns of possible fresh flooding as communities grapple with devastation
The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who may have been in the affected area to contact the agency’s tip line.
David Gregory told CNN he was hiking with a small group when the flooding cut their trip short.
“We realized the creek near camp was black with debris and flowing rapidly,” he said.
Gregory said they were evacuated by helicopter and taken to a local high school before being set up with a hotel for the night.
A series of storms impacted the Grand Canyon on Saturday, beginning in the early morning and returning in the evening. About 1 inch of rain has been recorded over the past 24 hours.
Showers today have been mostly confined to the north side of the canyon, where rainfall rates of up to 1 inch per hour have been observed. More storms are possible overnight into early Monday. Any storms that develop could produce more flash flooding due to high rainfall rates.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
