More than 20 people may still be missing or unaccounted for after a powerful flash flood swept through a remote section of the Grand Canyon, triggering an urgent appeal for information from the National Park Service.
Grand Canyon National Park reported that, as of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area, where severe flooding struck on Aug. 29.
Park officials are now asking the public to help identify and account for more than 20 people who may have been in the impacted area when the flood hit.
“Additional evacuations are planned today,” the park said, cautioning that more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall could develop Sunday and Monday, increasing the risk of additional flash flooding, debris flows and rockfall.
Floodwater and debris are seen in Bright Angel Canyon after a significant flash-flood event near Phantom Ranch on Aug. 29, 2026. (J. Thompson/NPS Photo)
The flooding struck Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Aug. 29, according to the National Park Service, adding that nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed.
Park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are continuing evacuation and response operations as they work to account for people who may have been caught in the affected corridor.
RELATED: Meet Long Island’s Real-Life George Costanza: 31, Unemployed and Living With His Parents
Debris and muddy floodwater are seen near the Phantom Ranger Station entrance after flash flooding swept through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area. (X/@GrandCanyonNPS)
Officials are asking anyone with information about hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along Bright Angel Creek that day to contact investigators.
The request also applies to anyone with a campground reservation in the affected area.
The National Park Service said it is trying to identify people who may have been traveling on the North Kaibab Trail between the North Kaibab Trailhead and Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground or traveling through an area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.
The agency did not release details about the people who may be missing or unaccounted for, including whether they were hikers, campers or park visitors with reservations in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.