Dozens evacuated and about 15 missing after Grand Canyon flash flood

A flash flood tore through the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area on the afternoon of August 30, sweeping away footbridges, hurling boulders and debris into the Colorado River, and damaging the park's sole water pipeline. The National Park Service confirmed two deaths, including a 46-year-old man whose body was found near Crystal Rapids, with about 15 people still missing or unaccounted for as of Monday; 62 people had been airlifted or evacuated to safety by Sunday morning. Popular sites including Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch and part of the North Kaibab Trail were closed while officials assessed the damage, and Colorado River rafting trips were halted.

Hiker Nikki Baggs, 41, who was airlifted out with two friends, described the scene as "terrifying": she said they had just dropped their bags at a cabin and gone out to enjoy the weather when people began screaming and running from the rising water, forcing them to retreat to higher ground twice before being evacuated around 9:30pm local time.