During the weekend of August 16, the fabled blue-green waters of Grand Canyon’s Havasu Canyon, home to the Havasupai tribe, turned an angry reddish brown as rain-fueled floodwaters barreled through the narrow canyon.
As the drama unfolded an earthen dam on the rim was breached, adding it’s bounty to the already impressive torrent. Tribal residents and stranded hikers were evacuated to safety by a multi-agency helicopter airlift. Thankfully only minor injuries were reported, and everyone was accounted for.
View a short video of the flood here.
Floodwaters subsided in a matter of days, and tribal officials began assessing the damage to infrastructure as well as natural and cultural resources. The official Havuspai website is currently showing that visitor services are closed through the middle of September (and possibly longer). For more information…
With luck the tribe will bounce back quickly from this tragedy, and once again be able to share their exquisite paradise with visitors from the world over.
