Known missing count falls from more than a dozen to one
MAJOR UPDATE — Grand Canyon officials now say two people are dead, about 80 people were rescued and one person recorded through the park's permit system remains unaccounted for after Saturday's flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon.
The new accounting is a substantial correction to earlier estimates that approximately 15—and at one point more than 20—people might be missing or unaccounted for. Officials used permit records, vehicle license plates and direct contact with hikers and families to determine that many people previously being sought were safe.
The reduced number does not mean rescuers found a new group of casualties. It means investigators reconciled most of the earlier reports. Officials also caution that day hikers can enter parts of the canyon without permits, so an unrecorded person could still be missing.
Authorities have confirmed two deaths. Public reporting about the victims remains incomplete and, in places, inconsistent; this report will not publish names or identifying details until the Park Service or medical examiner provides a definitive identification.
More storms threaten an already damaged search area
The National Weather Service placed the Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel area under a flood watch through midnight Monday as search and recovery work continues after Saturday's deadly flash flood.
The forecast issued early Monday gave Phantom Ranch a 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day, followed by a 60% chance Monday night. A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flooding; it does not mean another flood is occurring everywhere in the watch area.
The danger is heightened because the ground is saturated, normal escape routes are damaged and nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed. Searchers and visitors also face possible rockfall, debris flows and rapidly changing creek conditions.
Visitors should not enter closed trails or attempt to bypass barricades. Anyone near a drainage who sees rapidly rising or muddy water, hears sustained roaring or receives an official warning should move to higher ground immediately.
Read the source: Associated Press: About 80 rescued, two dead and one known person unaccounted for ↗
One permit-holder remains unaccounted for, but the search is not closed
Incident Commander Dave Black said officials have one known person with a park permit who remains unaccounted for. Deputy Superintendent Brian Drapeaux cautioned that day hikers who entered without permits would not necessarily appear in the park's missing-person records.
The earlier figures described people whose safety officials had not yet verified; they were never a confirmed death toll. Treating every initial name as a presumed victim would have converted an emergency accounting process into misinformation.
Anyone with information about hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29—including the North Kaibab Trail, Bright Angel Campground or the area known as the Box—should contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009.
About 80 people rescued from the inner canyon
The flood began around 2:30 p.m. Saturday in one of the park’s most remote and difficult-to-reach corridors. The Park Service initially reported 62 evacuations by Sunday morning; officials now say about 80 people were rescued during the response, including helicopter operations that continued after dark with night-vision equipment.
The American Red Cross was assisting evacuees at the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim. The Park Service has not published a complete manifest of everyone who was hiking, camping or working in the affected corridor, which is why the agency is asking the public to help identify people who may have been there.
Search and accounting work is continuing in terrain where cell service is unreliable and flood damage has disrupted normal routes. Readers should rely on identified Park Service announcements, not unsourced social-media lists or claims about the missing.
Read the source: National Park Service: 62 evacuated and major inner-canyon closures announced ↗
Bridges destroyed, river traffic halted and overnight stays suspended
Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating normal hiker crossings, the Park Service said. Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, the entire North Kaibab Trail, and the Black and Silver bridges are closed until further notice. No reopening date has been announced.
The Colorado River is also closed to river traffic because metal structures and other debris entered the water. Rangers are providing instructions to river parties already inside the canyon through the Grand Canyon River Alert system.
The flood damaged the sole water pipeline serving park residents and visitors. Beginning Monday, tourists will not be allowed to stay overnight at lodges and hotels inside Grand Canyon National Park, AP reported. Year-round residents have been asked to conserve water. Lodging outside the South Rim entrance in Tusayan remains available.
A short burst of intense rain hit already saturated ground
About one-half inch to one inch of rain fell in roughly 20 minutes on terrain already soaked by earlier storms, National Weather Service meteorologist Darren McCollum told AP. Bright Angel Creek drops approximately 6,000 feet from the North Rim toward the Colorado River, allowing water, mud and debris to accelerate through the narrow canyon.
The Park Service warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were possible into Monday, bringing the risk of more flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions.
A flash flood can strike miles from the storm that caused it. Muddy or suddenly rising water and the sound of sustained roaring are danger signs; people in a drainage should move to higher ground immediately and avoid attempting to cross floodwater.
What is confirmed—and what is still unknown
Confirmed: two people are dead; about 80 people were rescued; one permit-holder remains unaccounted for; and major inner-canyon trails, bridges, facilities and river traffic remain closed.
Still unknown: whether any unpermitted day hikers remain missing, the official identities and causes of death, whether anyone else was injured, the full extent and cost of the infrastructure damage, and when the affected areas or overnight lodging will reopen.
The situation remains a search, recovery and public-safety emergency. What’s the Scoop With Broach will update this report when the Park Service publishes a definitive accounting, identifies the victims or announces material changes to the closures.
Sources and further reading
Reuters: National Park Service confirms a second body after Grand Canyon flash flood ↗
Associated Press: About 80 rescued, two dead and one known person unaccounted for ↗
National Park Service: Public assistance requested to account for approximately 15 people ↗
National Park Service: 62 evacuated and major inner-canyon closures announced ↗
Associated Press: One confirmed death, water-pipeline damage and overnight lodging suspension ↗
National Weather Service: Flood watch and 90% thunderstorm chance for Phantom Ranch ↗
Associated Press: Grand Canyon braces for more storms while about 15 remain unaccounted for ↗
National Park Service: Current Grand Canyon backcountry and river emergency alerts ↗