15 Missing After Deadly Grand Canyon Flash Flood
One person was killed and 15 others were missing after floods raged through the Grand Canyon on Sunday.
The flash flood sent boulders into the Colorado River and ruined the only pipeline that provided drinkable water to tourists and residents, the National Park Service said, according to KNXV-TV. Footbridges were wiped out as well.
Officials said they found the body of a 46-year-old man but provided no additional details.
Parth Desai was hiking along a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon when the rain began on Saturday.
“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he said.
A deadly wall of water tore through the Grand Canyon over the weekend, leaving one person dead and about 15 others missing as crews race to search the devastated terrain.
The flash flood ripped through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area, destroying nearly all… pic.twitter.com/UEbUFEAPjx
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 31, 2026
As they approached Phantom Ranch, a colleague shouted “Up, Up, Up, Up!” as a 4-foot-high wall of debris came for them. They made it to safety and were later evacuated.
Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, said the flood damage could prove to be extensive and expensive.
“Heaven help us if the whole thing down there at the bottom has to be reconstructed,” he said. “Where are they going to get the money?”
🚨#BREAKING: Absolutely HORRIFYING footage from the Grand Canyon shows what appears to be an entire bunkhouse floating downriver with debris after flash flooding ripped through Bright Angel Canyon.
Over 60 people have been evacuated, 15 are still missing.
PLEASE PRAY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/lMEdClM9Qd
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) August 31, 2026
About half an inch to one inch of rain fell within about 20 minutes on a rocky slope after two smaller storms, National Weather Service meteorologist Darren McCollum said.
“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 said.
On Sunday, the National Park Service issued an appeal to find those who were missing.
“The National Park Service is asking the public to provide information for approximately 15 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for following a significant flash-flood event in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on August 29,” it posted.
additional video released by the national park service shows bright angel creek flash flooding near the phantom ranch ranger station in the grand canyon saturday evening. 15 people remain unaccounted for. https://t.co/d1DfTDmFFq pic.twitter.com/TJG5ZFxUYA
— Michael Rusch (@weeddude) August 31, 2026
“The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch,” it added.
Forecasters said more flash floods are possible Monday, according to NBC News.
As it is, the flooding forced the National Park Service to cancel or ban overnight stays.
Through Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated.
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