<p class="wp-block-paragraph">FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — One person died and about 15 people are missing or unaccounted for following a significant flash flood at the Grand Canyon that led to evacuations, displaced large boulders into the Colorado River, and damaged the sole water pipeline serving tourists and residents, according to the National Park Service on Sunday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, as reported by the park service, which did not provide further details. Officials from an Arizona coroner’s office were present at the scene.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">PUBLIC ASSISTANCE REQUESTED<br /><br />The NPS is asking for information about more than 20 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for following the Aug. 29 flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.<br /><br />If you know of hikers/backpackers who were in the Bright… <a href="https://t.co/S6S6zHSZ7Q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/S6S6zHSZ7Q</a></p>— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) <a href="https://x.com/GrandCanyonNPS/status/2094144991925031188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">August 30, 2026</a></blockquote> </div></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The flooding on Saturday in Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the river, resulted in over 60 individuals being airlifted from the canyon. The park service requested anyone with information about hikers or campers who remain unaccounted for to reach out. The Arizona Department of Public Safety assisted with additional evacuations on Sunday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Due to the damaged pipeline, there is a limited supply of potable water, which means tourists will not be able to stay overnight at lodges and hotels within the park starting Monday. Residents are being urged to conserve water.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources,” the park stated in a release.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Visiting the Grand Canyon can be particularly hazardous in the summer due to the risk of flash flooding associated with the monsoon season. Clear days can quickly turn into thunderstorms and heavy rain.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Parth Desai, who was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon with fellow physicians and a park ranger, described the heavy rain that began falling on Saturday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he recounted.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As they moved toward Phantom Ranch, a colleague alerted them to a debris wall approaching, prompting them to seek higher ground. They were later rescued by helicopter after reaching the Phantom Ranch area.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The floodwaters destroyed footbridges over the creek and altered the landscape, widening the creek bed and creating new rapids. This incident poses a significant setback to ongoing efforts to modernize the pipeline that serves approximately 6 million visitors annually and around 1,600 residents of Grand Canyon Village.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Heaven help us if the whole thing down there at the bottom has to be reconstructed,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. “Where are they going to get the money?”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Halting overnight stays at the park due to water shortages is uncommon, although the pipeline has experienced failures in the past. While the Grand Canyon has large storage tanks for potable water on the South Rim, they will not be replenished while the pipeline is out of service.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A $208 million rehabilitation project for the pipeline and upgrades to the water delivery system began in 2023, with the park service emphasizing its importance for meeting the needs of residents and visitors. The project is expected to be completed next year.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Popular tourist destinations, including the Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail, and Phantom Ranch, which features a historic canteen and dormitories, remained closed on Sunday. Lodging is still available just outside the park’s South Rim entrance station in Tusayan.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Erica Viola reported that she and about 50 other hikers at the campground observed the creek rise on Saturday and debris flowing by, including what appeared to be a bunkhouse. She noted that the helicopter evacuation cut her trip short by two days.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to National Weather Service meteorologist Darren McCollum in Flagstaff, about half an inch to 1 inch (1 to 2.5 cm) of rain fell within approximately 20 minutes on a steep rocky slope. This was preceded by two smaller rain systems that soaked the area hours earlier.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“So when the main storm moved in, torrential rain fell on everything that was already soaked, and that caused all the problems that we’re seeing,” McCollum explained.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The weather service indicated that the flooding occurred on the north side of the Grand Canyon, where Bright Angel Creek descends from the North Rim to the Colorado River, dropping around 6,000 feet (1,828 meters).</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Additional rain and thunderstorms are possible for the area through Monday.</p>