Grand Canyon, Arizona, 31 August 2026

More than 20 people may be missing after a major flash flood tore through Bright Angel Creek in the Grand Canyon, the US National Park Service said on Sunday, with dozens of visitors evacuated and footbridges destroyed.

The National Park Service reported on Sunday that more than 20 people may be missing after a flash flood struck Bright Angel Creek, a tributary that flows into the Colorado River inside the Grand Canyon. The flood swept through a heavily used corridor of the park, destroyed footbridges over the creek and reshaped the landscape in ways that have complicated search efforts, according to park officials and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

What's new since 30 August

Dozens of visitors were evacuated from the area around Phantom Ranch, the historic lodge complex at the bottom of the canyon near the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River. Park rangers and emergency personnel were working through Sunday to account for hikers and day users who had been in the creek corridor when the flood hit, the Park Service said.

The flooding in Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the Colorado River, wiped out footbridges over the creek and altered the landscape, according to the National Park Service. The scale of the damage has made it difficult for rescuers to reach some areas, and officials have not yet released names or descriptions of those believed to be missing.

Scale of the damage

The Arizona Department of Public Safety is assisting the National Park Service with search and recovery operations, including air and ground teams. Park officials cautioned that the number of missing could change as crews complete headcounts at trailheads, campgrounds and the Phantom Ranch area. No fatalities had been confirmed as of Sunday evening, but officials said the situation remained fluid.

Flash floods are a recurring hazard in the Grand Canyon, where narrow side canyons can funnel runoff from distant storms into sudden walls of water. Hydrologist Jack Schmidt of Utah State University, a specialist in the Colorado River system, has previously documented how debris flows and high water events can reshape tributaries such as Bright Angel Creek in a matter of minutes. Sunday's event appeared consistent with that pattern, though a full hydrologic assessment is still pending.

Why flash floods hit the canyon

The Park Service said it had closed affected trails and suspended river corridor permits in the area until damage assessments could be completed. Visitors sheltering at Phantom Ranch were reported safe, but the loss of footbridges has effectively cut off some of the main hiking routes between the canyon rim and the river, complicating both evacuations and resupply.

A pipeline project tied to water infrastructure in the area is scheduled to be completed next year, though officials did not immediately link Sunday's flood damage to that work. The Park Service said its priority remained locating the missing and ensuring the safety of remaining visitors and staff in the corridor.

Response and what comes next

Park officials urged family members who believed a relative might have been in the Bright Angel Creek area to contact the National Park Service. A dedicated reunification point has been set up at the canyon's South Rim, and the agency said it would release further updates once search teams had completed initial sweeps of the affected zone.