More than twenty hikers missing after flash floods rip through Grand Canyon

| Night News Editor Published August 30, 2026 10:17pm Updated August 30, 2026 10:19pm A bridge is wiped out along Bright Angel Creek in the Grand Canyon following a flash flood (Picture: National Park Service via AP) The search is on for more than 20 hikers who vanished after a flash flood ripped through the Grand Canyon. The raging flood swept large boulders aside, ripped up metal structures and even destroying bridges over the Colorado River. Torrents of water significantly altered the landscape, widening the creek bed and creating a new river rapid. The park service said it was seeking information about more than 20 people who may be missing or unaccounted for after the flood and asked anyone with details about people hiking or camping in the area to get in touch. It said it was working with the Arizona Department of Public Safety to continue evacuations Sunday. ‘This is a reminder of what a dynamic and active landscape Grand Canyon is,’ said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. More than 20 people who may be missing or unaccounted for in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area (Picture: National Park Service) Erica Viola said she was at Bright Angel Campground when the rain started Saturday afternoon, and she and about 50 other hikers watched the creek rise and then debris start to flow by, including what looked like a bunkhouse. The group was taken by helicopter to safety, ending her adventure two days early, she said. Around 2.5cm of rain fell within about 30 minutes in the rocky area where there’s a steep drop in elevation, said National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Johndrow in Flagstaff. ‘Most of it ran off instantly,’ Johndrow said. More than 60 people were evacuated from Phantom Ranch, which has a historic canteen and dorms, and is a common spot for rafters to get off and on the river. Arrow MORE: Man shares new wife’s final words before she went missing in Nepal flash floods Arrow MORE: Florida man smuggled nearly $1,000,000 worth of US aircraft parts to Russia Arrow MORE: More than 700 dead in Nepal as UK team arrives to support flooding victims News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.