Thunderstorm Triggers Evacuations and River Closure at Grand Canyon
In an unusual turn of events, a severe thunderstorm unleashed approximately an inch of rain over the Grand Canyon in just half an hour, resulting in evacuations and a rare shutdown of the Colorado River on Saturday.
Grand Canyon National Park officials reported on Sunday morning that at least 62 individuals had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch at the canyon’s base and sections of the lower North Kaibab Trail.
The intense rainfall also impacted areas previously affected by the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire, exacerbating flooding and debris flow through Bright Angel Creek and into the Colorado River.
The National Weather Service has enforced a flash flood watch effective until Monday. Consequently, Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, and the entire North Kaibab Trail from the trailhead to Phantom Ranch are currently closed. Additionally, boating on the Colorado River has been suspended.
The National Park Service, in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, is gearing up for additional evacuations from Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch on Sunday morning.
Evacuees are being transported to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria at the canyon’s South Rim, where the American Red Cross is extending support.
Thankfully, the press release confirms that there have been no reported injuries.
While heavy rainfall is not uncommon in the Grand Canyon, its occurrence in such a sensitive area is rare, according to Justin Johndrow, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. He said, “The amounts that we saw in that short period of time were fairly unusual for that exact location.”
Johndrow elaborated on the geographical challenges, explaining, “No. 1, it’s steep. It’s rocky. So a lot of the rain that falls runs off doesn’t sink into the ground. [Bright Angel] creek that runs through there is dropping thousands of feet in a short distance, which is pretty unusual when you look around the country. Not a lot of places have streams that are that steep.”
The flooding was also intensified by water flowing over the Dragon Bravo burn scar. The Dragon Bravo Fire had been a massive blaze that scorched parts of the North Rim in 2025.
While rain began in the Grand Canyon on Friday night and continued into Saturday morning, it was the thunderstorm around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday that triggered the significant flooding, Johndrow told KNAU. “The area was primed for flooding, and then at around 2:30 p.m. a very strong thunderstorm moved in from the south and added half to one inch of rain in about 30 minutes, and that was kind of what set off the flash flood that affected those areas,” he explained.
Social media videos displayed large metal debris floating down the muddied Colorado River.
According to the national park’s press release, almost all footbridges over Bright Angel Creek have been destroyed, hindering hiker access across the creek.
Data from the U.S. Geological Survey indicates river flows below the creek experienced a sharp increase on Saturday.
With northern Arizona under a flash flood watch until Monday evening due to potential further storms, Johndrow noted the possibility of additional flooding during this period.
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