‘Lucky to have made it out’: Phantom Ranch evacuees recall harrowing Grand Canyon flash floods

A sudden flash flood at Phantom Ranch in Arizona’s Grand Canyon forced dozens of people to leave the area after Bright Angel Creek rose quickly on August 29.Phantom Ranch evacuees described a frightening Grand Canyon flash flood, while visitors shared relief, sadness and concern after seeing the damage.. (Parth Desai via AP) (AP)The National Park Service said 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail by the morning of August 30, while officials were also seeking information about more than 20 people who may have been missing or unaccounted for.Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, and Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and the North Kaibab Trail remain closed.Phantom Ranch evacuees describe Grand Canyon flash floodsParth Desai, a physician hiking through Bright Angel Canyon with a group, said the weather changed quickly when the storm arrived. He told the Associated Press they saw “waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere.”As the group moved toward Phantom Ranch, Desai said a colleague shouted “Up, Up, Up, Up!” after a roughly 4-foot wall of debris headed toward them. The group ran toward a patch of cacti for higher ground and was later rescued by helicopter from the Phantom Ranch area.Erica Viola was at Bright Angel Campground when the rain began. She said she and about 50 other hikers watched the creek rise before debris started moving through the area. The group was eventually taken out by helicopter, cutting her trip short by two days.A Reddit user also shared a first-hand account after leaving Phantom Ranch. “Extremely sad! My group and I made it out of Phantom Ranch 2 hours after the flooding. Conditions were really bad, we were so lucky to have made it out of there.”Another commenter replied, “Glad you made it out!”