Flash Flood Sweeps Grand Canyon Inner Trails, Leaving Two Dead and 15 Missing

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	Flash Flood Sweeps Grand Canyon Inner Trails, Leaving Two Dead and 15 Missing Daniel Mercer - National News Tell Us USA News Network GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Heavy monsoon rain unleashed a catastrophic flash flood through the heart of Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend, leaving at least two people dead, approximately 15 others missing, and causing widespread structural damage throughout the inner canyon. The emergency began around 2:30 p.m. local time when severe monsoon thunderstorms dropped up to an inch of rain in just 30 minutes over the Kaibab Plateau. The sudden downpour hit steep, rocky canyon walls, generating immediate runoff that funneled into Bright Angel Creek. Within minutes, a wall of fast-moving, muddy water carrying boulders, heavy logs, and structural debris rushed down Bright Angel Canyon and poured directly into the Colorado River. Park officials, supported by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, initiated a large-scale emergency search and rescue effort. More than 62 hikers and campers were airlifted by helicopter out of Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground. Park authorities confirmed the recovery of two bodies, including a 46-year-old male found near Crystal Rapids. Rescue teams continue searching for approximately 15 unaccounted-for individuals. The National Park Service has appealed to the public for information regarding anyone who was hiking or camping along the North Kaibab Trail or near Phantom Ranch during the storm. The torrential waters severely altered the inner canyon’s landscape, reshaping creek beds and destroying critical infrastructure. About 40 percent of the main Transcanyon Waterline was destroyed, cutting off the park's primary water source. Overnight hotel and lodge stays inside the park have been suspended to conserve water. Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were wiped out, and the North Kaibab Trail is closed until further notice. Commercial and private river trips on the Colorado River have also been halted due to dangerous debris and submerged structures. National Weather Service meteorologists warn that additional monsoon showers and thunderstorms remain possible, presenting a lingering threat of further rockfalls, debris flows, and sudden flooding across northern Arizona's slot canyons and drainage basins. Park officials strongly urge all visitors to steer clear of inner canyon trailheads and respect all active closures.