Emergency crews have evacuated 62 people by helicopter following a significant flash flood in the Grand Canyon on August 29, 2026. The National Park Service is searching for more than 20 people reported missing in the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas, where sudden downpours destroyed critical infrastructure.
The Flash Flood Strikes Bright Angel Canyon
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. Around 2:30 p.m. Aug. 29, a significant flash flood hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, creating the need for several helicopter evacuation missions with 62 people evacuated, the park service said. Heavy rains sent water surging down the steep, rocky terrain.
David Gregory watched a creek beside his Phantom Ranch cabin turn black and fill with fast-moving debris before a park ranger ordered him and other visitors out. Gregory, 59, said he crossed a small bridge during the evacuation that workers later told him had been washed away, then escaped the canyon aboard a helicopter.
Evacuations and Missing Persons Search
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, according to a news release. Sixty-two people were evacuated from the area Sunday morning, and additional evacuations were underway from Cottonwood Campground, Phantom Ranch and other nearby sites. Evacuees have been transported to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance.
More than 20 people may be missing following a flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, according to park officials. Around 15 people were missing or unaccounted for after devastating flash flooding at the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service. That was down from the more than 20 originally unaccounted for, Grand Canyon National Park spokesperson Joelle Baird said.
The National Park Service is asking for the public’s help finding as many as 20 people who may be missing following a significant flash flood in the Grand Canyon on Saturday. If you know of hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, or if you had a campground reservation in the affected area, please contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch,
the agency wrote in a news release and social media posts on Sunday afternoon.
Missing people may have been traveling or staying in the following locations, according to the park service:
- Staying at Bright Angel Campground or Cottonwood Campground
- Traveling the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch
- Traveling through “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch
The public was asked to provide any information possible, including the person’s name, approximate location, travel plans, group size, clothing or backpack description, or when they were last known to be in the area.
Extensive Infrastructure Damage and Closures
The park service said the flash flood happened around 2:30 p.m. Saturday and resulted in significant impacts
to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges were destroyed, eliminating hiker access to the creek.
Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, and the entire North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch are closed until further notice, the Park Service said. The Black Bridge and Silver Bridge crossing the Colorado River are also closed until further notice with no estimated reopening date.
Ongoing Weather Threats and Investigation
Showers 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 flash flooding due to high rainfall rates.
A flash flood watch remains in effect in the Grand Canyon area through Monday evening with more showers and thunderstorms in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service. Flash flooding will be possible in creeks, normally dry washes, swimming holes, and over recently burned areas,
the agency warned.
