Dozens of people have been evacuated after sudden flash flooding struck the Grand Canyon on Saturday.
Park officials reported that torrential monsoonal rains caused water levels to surge rapidly through Bright Angel Canyon around 2:30 p.m.
Dramatic footage shows a wall of muddy, chocolate-brown floodwater violently churning down the canyon floor, tearing through trail corridors and sweeping away debris, logs and vegetation.
National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue crews launched an immediate airlift response, safely evacuating over 50 individuals from the historic Phantom Ranch camping area, according to a social media post by the Grand Canyon National Park.
Park officials have shut down Phantom Ranch and the entire length of the North Kaibab Trail until further notice.
The park’s lodge operator Xanterra is currently reaching out to affected guests regarding reservation updates. Park authorities urged all visitors “not attempt to access the closed areas.”
Earlier this week, catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal killed more than 300 and left thousands more missing — including over 90 U.S. citizens.
The disaster was triggered after a high-altitude glacier broke off at 17,000 feet and plunged nearly 4,000 feet into Tibet’s Lhende Khola river valley. The falling debris temporarily dammed the river before bursting, unleashing a destructive slurry of mud, ice and rock that tore through the region below.
