1 dead, around 15 missing after Grand Canyon hit by flash floods

Some 15 people are believed to be missing in Grand Canyon National Park, and dozens have been evacuated after parts of the canyon were hit by “significant” flash flooding, which swept large boulders, metal structures and other debris into the Colorado River, officials said Sunday.

The National Park Service called for anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon when the flash floods hit to provide information to park authorities. 

“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,” NPS said in a statement.

Authorities are also searching for anyone who may have been on the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or traveling or staying in the area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.

Grand Canyon National Park said Sunday night on social media that the body of a 46-year-old man had been recovered near Crystal Rapids, but did not say if he was one of the people believed to be missing or if his death was believed to be related to the flooding.  

The number of missing individuals is subject to change as more information becomes available, a parks spokesperson told CBS News.

Park authorities evacuated at least 62 people from the popular tourist spot after the flooding caused significant damage, officials said earlier.

“Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating pedestrian access across the creek,” NPS said in an earlier statement.

Officials said Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch Canteen, the North Kaibab Trail, the Black and Silver bridges and traffic to the Colorado River in the area are closed “until further notice.” A reopening date was not immediately available.

About half an inch to 1 inch of rain fell within about 30 minutes in the rocky area where there’s a steep drop in elevation, said National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Johndrow in Flagstaff.

“Most of it ran off instantly,” Johndrow told The Associated Press.

The National Park Service said Sunday night that 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,” NPS said.

Phantom Ranch is a historic and extremely popular lodge close to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by Bright Angel Creek.

Park officials asked people to stay away from the closed areas and said the operator of the lodge, which is usually fully booked months in advance, will inform guests about the state of their reservations.

Grand Canyon National Park is ranked the fourth-most visited national park in the U.S., with 4,430,653 recreational visits in 2025.

Officials also warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible Sunday and Monday, which could “result in additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions.”

“This is a reminder of what a dynamic and active landscape [the] Grand Canyon is,” Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, told AP.

A flood watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for all of northern and central Arizona through Monday evening, NWS Flagstaff said.

“Flash flooding will be possible in creeks, normally dry washes, swimming holes, and over recently burned areas,” the NWS alert said. “Raging killer currents will be possible in side canyons and narrow slot canyons. Low-water crossings may be flooded.”

Showers and thunderstorms are also expected through Monday. The area’s already-saturated soils and “deep monsoonal moisture” increase the risk of flash flooding, according to forecasters.