Grand Canyon faces more flash floods as crews search for 15 missing

Storms predicted for the following day could bring additional flash floods to the Grand Canyon, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, search teams are currently looking for around 15 individuals who were reported missing after a flood struck the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch region on Saturday. The overwhelming flood claimed at least one life, as evidenced by the recovery of a 46-year-old man's body on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River in northern Arizona.

The damage inflicted on the park included the destruction of the sole water pipeline facilitating the provision of drinking water and fire suppression in the park. This twelve-and-a-half-mile (20 kilometers) pipeline runs from the Roaring Springs source on the North Rim to the South Rim, and its damage has prompted the park service to impose water restrictions in its most frequented area and a prohibition of wood and charcoal fires.

This incident also resulted in considerable impacts to infrastructure, with footbridges destroyed and hikers barred from crossing the Bright Angel Creek. Overnight accommodations have been closed starting Monday to ensure the safety and sustainability of water resources. The flash flood was triggered by rain on the Kaibab Plateau, and flash floods are known to be prevalent in Northern Arizona due to the region's dry, thinly vegetated landscape that is poor in absorbing rain, according to the park service.

These advisories urge visitors to exercise caution from July to mid-September. The Grand Canyon, renowned as one of the world's greatest natural wonders, originated from the Colorado River carving through layers of red sandstone and other rock over millions of years, yielding a chasm spanning up to 18 miles wide and over a mile deep. Last year, nearly five million people visited the site.