Over 100 evacuated amid heavy flooding at Grand Canyon entrance
Over 100 guests and residents near the entrance to the Grand Canyon were evacuated on Tuesday after severe flooding turned Arizona streets into rivers.
A torrential downpour struck the town of Tusayan on Tuesday, flooding a resort center frequented by tourists visiting the nearby Grand Canyon National Park.
The National Weather Service declared a flood advisory for a large area around the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, including Grand Canyon Village and Tusayan.
Tusayan is located in the Kaibab National Forest, only 10 miles from the entrance to the national park. It is home to hotels serving visitors to the iconic canyon, as well Grand Canyon National Park Airport.
About 2-3 inches of rainfall drenched Tusayan in about two hours on Tuesday, leading to dangerous flash flooding of nearly three feet of water on the town’s streets.
Over 100 people, including both tourists and Tusayan residents, were evacuated from the town, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said.
Additionally, about 70 students sheltered in place at Grand Canyon Unified School District buildings during the torrential downpour. They were reunited with their families around 8.00pm on Tuesday night.
State Route 64, the main highway that leads into the national park’s southern entrance, was closed on Tuesday due to the floods.
The road was reopened on Tuesday night around 9.30pm, but the Arizona Department of Transportation said crews were still working due to a ‘utility issue’ in the area through the night.
The floods come only days after Tropical Storm Hilary struck the region, bringing devastating floods and wind speeds to the desert southwest.
On Sunday, Hilary became the first tropical storm to strike California for 84 years.
Heavy rains brought floods and mudslides to the deserts and mountains of southern California on Sunday and Monday.
Hilary then moved north, bringing more heavy rainfall to the Las Vegas Valley.
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