Flash Floods Force 50 Evacuations at Grand Canyon
Flash Floods Force 50 Evacuations at Grand Canyon
The News
About 50 people were flown out of the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Saturday after flash floods tore through Bright Angel Canyon, the National Park Service said.
Torrential monsoon rain sent water surging down the Bright Angel Creek Basin at about 2:30 p.m., wiping out trails and stranding visitors at Phantom Ranch.
No one was injured, park officials said.
Timeline
Flash flooding hits Bright Angel Canyon. The National Weather Service recorded 0.25 to 0.75 inches of rain in 30 minutes.
The flooding originated below the Dragon Bravo Fire scar in the Bright Angel Creek Basin, where burned ground sheds water instead of absorbing it.
The Park Service carries out an aerial evacuation of roughly 50 people from Phantom Ranch, near the canyon floor.
The North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch are closed until further notice. The American Red Cross opens a shelter at Grand Canyon High School in Grand Canyon Village.
Reactions
Park officials said no injuries were reported and warned the public to stay out of the closed areas while creek flows remain high.
Officials said heavy flow in the creek was still ongoing and could affect additional campgrounds and recreational areas nearby.
What's Next
The lodge operator is contacting guests about the status of their reservations.
There is no timeline yet for reopening the North Kaibab Trail or Phantom Ranch.
Whether the flooding spreads to other campgrounds and recreation areas is still unclear.
More
Phantom Ranch sits near the canyon bottom alongside Bright Angel Creek and is typically booked months in advance. The Grand Canyon is the fourth-most visited national park in the country, so a closure at the height of the season strands trips that took a year to schedule.
Reporting: The Independent, Yahoo News, CBS News, New York Post.
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