Grand Canyon Flash Flood Destroys Footbridges, Leaves Up to 20 Unaccounted For

A flash flood slammed into the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Saturday afternoon, August 29, destroying nearly every footbridge across Bright Angel Creek and pushing debris, including a metal building, into the Colorado River.

The National Park Service says the flooding began around 2:30 p.m. local time in Bright Angel Canyon, near the historic Phantom Ranch lodge. By Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, with more evacuations planned for Sunday, according to the park service.

No injuries have been reported.

How Bad Was the Rain

About half an inch to a full inch of rain fell in roughly 30 minutes over the rocky, steep-walled canyon, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Johndrow in Flagstaff, who spoke to the Associated Press. "Most of it ran off instantly," Johndrow said.

Bright Angel Creek drops about 6,000 feet from the North Rim to the Colorado River, a grade that turns a modest rainstorm into a violent torrent fast. Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, told AP the event was "a reminder of what a dynamic and active landscape Grand Canyon is."

Nobody Can Agree on How Many Are Missing

Fox News and NBC News both reported more than 20 people missing or unaccounted for. CBS News and The Independent put the number at around 15, citing a park service spokesperson. Newsweek reported "more than 20" in its headline, but in the body of its own story quoted a Department of the Interior spokesperson saying "there are 15 people scheduled to be evacuated," a different figure describing a different thing, scheduled evacuees, not people missing.

A Grand Canyon National Park spokesperson told CBS News the number of missing individuals "is subject to change as more information becomes available." The spread between outlets and the internal inconsistency in Newsweek's own reporting means readers should treat any specific missing-person count as a moving target until the park service issues a firmer tally.

What Got Destroyed

The park service said nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off pedestrian access across the creek entirely. Images released by the park showed a metal structure washed into the Colorado River and bridges at Phantom Ranch swept away.

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch canteen and cabins, the entire North Kaibab Trail, and the Black and Silver bridges are all closed until further notice. Rafting trips and Colorado River traffic through the area have also been halted, and no reopening date has been announced.

Erica Viola told the Associated Press she was at Bright Angel Campground when the storm hit Saturday. She and about 50 other hikers watched the creek rise and debris, including what looked like a bunkhouse, float past before the group was airlifted out by helicopter, cutting her trip two days short.

Who's Being Searched For

The park service is asking anyone with information about hikers or backpackers who were on the North Kaibab Trail between the trailhead and Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or traveling through an area known as "the Box" north of Phantom Ranch, to contact investigators. That request also covers anyone who held a campground reservation in the affected zone.

Evacuees pulled from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail were flown to the South Rim, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance, according to Newsweek. Anyone with information is asked to call the NPS Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov.

More Rain on the Way

The park service warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible Sunday and Monday, which "could result in additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions." Parts of Arizona remain under flood watches and warnings amid an active monsoon pattern, Newsweek reported.

The Grand Canyon drew more than 4.4 million recreational visits in 2025, making it the fourth most-visited national park in the country, according to CBS News. Phantom Ranch, the only lodging below the canyon rim, is typically booked out months in advance. Park officials said the lodge operator will notify guests directly about the status of upcoming reservations.

The unresolved question heading into the new week is straightforward: how many of the people the park service still can't account for are actually missing versus simply out of cell and radio contact in a canyon with no working bridges. That number won't be reliable until search crews finish combing the Bright Angel corridor, and the next round of monsoon storms could make that job harder before it gets easier.