Search teams racing to locate more than a dozen people missing after weekend flash floods in the Grand Canyon faced another obstacle as storms threatened to disrupt operations, the National Park Service said. Two bodies have been recovered.
The flooding swept through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of dozens of people and damaging the only water pipeline serving the remote section of the park.
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Park officials said the body of a 46-year-old man was recovered yesterday evening.
The NPS later confirmed that a second body had been found, while cautioning that “forecasted weather may affect the timing and pace” of further search operations.
“Flash flooding will be possible in creeks, normally dry washes, swimming holes, and over recently burned areas. Raging killer currents will be possible in side canyons and narrow slot canyons. Low-water crossings may be flooded,” the agency said in a bulletin.
Videos recorded by hikers over the weekend captured muddy torrents surging along trails and beneath footbridges. Logs and other debris tumbled through swollen waterways as a deep rumble echoed through the canyon.
The park service said it was coordinating with Arizona authorities to evacuate visitors and determine the whereabouts of those still unaccounted for.
By yesterday morning, 62 people had been evacuated, while additional evacuations were planned for later, officials said.
About 15 people were believed to be missing.
Water pipeline damaged
Floodwaters damaged or destroyed 40 percent of the Transcanyon Waterline, a critical pipeline that supplies water to Grand Canyon National Park, the NPS said.
Officials imposed water restrictions in the park’s busiest area and prohibited wood and charcoal fires.
The 20kms pipeline stretches from the Roaring Springs source on the North Rim to the South Rim. According to the park’s website, it supplies drinking water and supports fire suppression efforts.
The floods also caused “significant impacts to infrastructure,” destroying footbridges and preventing hikers from crossing Bright Angel Creek, the park service said.
Flash floods are frequent in Northern Arizona, where arid, thinly vegetated terrain has limited ability to absorb heavy rain, according to the park’s website. The agency urges visitors to take particular care between July and mid-September.
The Grand Canyon, widely regarded as one of the world’s great natural wonders, was carved over millions of years as the Colorado River cut through layers of red sandstone and other rock. The resulting chasm reaches up to 29km in width and extends more than 1.6km deep.
Almost five million people visited the site last year.
