Hikers describe intense rain and wind before floodwaters ravage Grand Canyon

It was a monster of a storm that formed within minutes Like clockwork, clouds build up in the afternoon, the wind starts to swirl and the skies darken. But on this August afternoon, the monsoon kicked into high gear, setting its sights on a remote section of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

Down below, dozens of hikers were setting up camp along Bright Angel Creek and admiring the towering walls they eventually would have to traverse on the way back up. It wasn’t long before muddy water came rushing down the creek. The sound was deafening as it crashed against the rocks, carrying with it tree branches, sediment and other debris.

Violent thunderstorms and subsequent flash flooding are nothing new during the summer months in the southwestern United States. Those in the canyon last Saturday knew the risks, but this storm packed an extra punch, washing out key footbridges and doing more damage to infrastructure than previous decades of turbulent water. Two people died and at least one is still missing.

More than 80 people were airlifted out of the canyon, and the National Park Service is assessing the damage. Forecasts warned of severe storms and flood risks A storm of generational proportions — that is how some of the hikers described it in interviews with The Associated Press. Some talked about scrambling to higher ground as the rushing water approached.

Others hunkered down under a ledge to avoid falling rocks. “It was for sure some of the worst acute fast-forming weather I have ever seen in my time, whether it’s in the mountains or marine environments or in the desert Southwest,” said Drew Harrell, an emergency medicine physician with University of New Mexico Hospital who was on a training mission at the time as medical director for Grand Canyon National Park. Harrell is no stranger to working in austere environments and has hiked rim-to-rim more than a dozen times.

He and his team had checked the weather before starting their annual trip. They were more worried about afternoon temperatures stretching into the triple digits rather than rain. But this storm, Harrell said, seemed to come out of the blue just as his six-member group entered “The Box,” the final 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before Phantom Ranch, an oasis at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.