Two dead, dozens missing as Grand Canyon braces for more flooding

At least two people have died and about a dozen remain unaccounted for after flash floods tore through the Grand Canyon, with authorities warning more dangerous weather could be on the way.

The disaster unfolded on Saturday afternoon at about 2.30pm (Sunday morning AEST), when waves of rain hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area, deep below the canyon rim.

The worst burst dumped up to 25mm of rain in about 30 minutes, with much of the water running straight off the steep, rocky terrain and into Bright Angel Creek.

The creek rapidly swelled into a torrent carrying mud, boulders, trees and pieces of structures towards the Colorado River, while hikers and campers scrambled for higher ground.

Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off pedestrian routes through the area, while trails, campsites and other infrastructure were badly damaged.

At least 62 people were evacuated, many by helicopter, as rescuers began investigating who had been in the remote canyon when the flood hit.

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Authorities initially believed about 15 people could be missing or unaccounted for and appealed for information about anyone who had been hiking, backpacking or camping along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Saturday.

Two bodies have since been recovered by search and rescue teams.

One of the victims has been identified by his family as Texas chiropractor John Giusti, who had been visiting the canyon with friends Brent Rosenkranz and Timothy Smith. The pair remain missing.

Giusti and his friends planned to spend two nights fishing and exploring the canyon, and their families last heard from them after they found their campsite on Friday.

One further person remains unaccounted for, according to the number of park permits issued after rangers rescued 30 people over the last two days.

Despite the ongoing search efforts and extensive damage, Grand Canyon National Park was open and accessible to the public as of Monday night, deputy superintendent Brian Drapeaux announced during a press conference.

However, the impacts of the disaster remain severe. The torrent swept boulders, metal structures and other debris into the Colorado River, destroyed footbridges and damaged about 40 per cent of the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water to tourist areas.

Authorities have warned the danger may not be over, with further showers and thunderstorms forecast and a flood watch in place.

The US National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Centre raised the area’s rainfall threat to Level 3 of 4 on Monday, indicating multiple flash floods were possible.

Park rangers have also warned further rain could cause debris flows, rockfalls and dangerous changes to trails and river conditions.

Jeffrey Yates was camping at Cottonwood Campground when the weather deteriorated and said he and a friend saw floodwater bearing down on the area.

“We started to hear a sound that we knew wasn’t really thunder,” he told CNN. “We looked over at the creek and just saw this wall of water rushing down.”

The pair scrambled higher up the canyon, fearing the creek would continue to rise.

“It was the most terrifying experience of my life so far,” Yates said.

He and other stranded hikers were eventually evacuated by helicopter the following morning.

“What we saw would have been hard to survive if you got swept away in it,” he said.

Another visitor, Wieke De Boer, said she used her bare foot and hands to stop her tent collapsing as powerful winds battered the campsite and water pooled around her.

“It was so crazy. There was so much wind,” she said. “The frame of the tent was collapsing onto me, so I had to crouch down and either hold it up with my foot, or later I got up and tried to hold it down or hold it up.”

Rangers later arrived and ordered her to evacuate.

Grand Canyon Whitewater said all of its rafting crews and guests had been accounted for and were safe, with none of its trips in the immediate area when the flood hit.

The company said its trips had resumed after the Colorado River was reopened following an assessment by park officials.

The destruction also knocked out the national park’s sole water pipeline, which was already prone to leaks and breaks and had far exceeded its expected lifespan.

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It’s a major blow to the $US208 million ($290 million) pipeline rehabilitation and water-delivery upgrades that began in 2023.

The project was expected to be completed in 2027.

Stage four water restrictions are now in place, with the full extent of the damage to be assessed on Tuesday, Drapeaux said.

​- Reported with Associated Press and CNN