Havasupai Falls area of Grand Canyon closed after deadly flash flooding
Aug 26, 2024, 11:05 AM
PHOENIX — The Havasupai Falls area of the Grand Canyon is closed to outsiders after deadly and destructive flash flooding ravaged the popular northern Arizona tourist site last week.
The Havasupai Tribal Council decided to close the area after meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and county emergency management services.
“The trail into Supai and to the campground and falls are unpassable; the damage to the campground is extensive. Therefore, the Council has made the difficult but necessary decision to close Havasupai to tourists until further notice,” tribal officials announced Saturday.
Supai is a village on Havasupai Tribe land at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but it is not part of Grand Canyon National Park.
RELATED STORIES
Permits to visit the scenic Havasupai Falls and campground are made available through a lottery system. Supai can be reached only by an 8-mile hike into the Grand Canyon, on a mule or horse, or via helicopter.
“Officials will be arriving in Supai over the next few days to assess the damage and to begin the process of clean-up and repairs. The Tribal Council’s focus is the health and safety of the tribal members and those that provide services in Supai,” Havasupai officials said.
Why is the Havasupai Falls area closed?
While scenic, the remote area is prone to flooding due to its location.
Several tourists were trapped above and below the nearby Beaver Falls after flash flooding on Thursday. Other hikers made it to Supai, where they awaited helicopter rides out.
One person, Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, was swept away into Havasu Creek about half a mile above the Colorado River. Members of a commercial river trip found the 33-year-old woman’s body about 19 miles away on Sunday morning.
Gov. Katie Hobbs deployed the Arizona National Guard on Friday to assist with rescue efforts. Using a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, the guard helped evacuate 104 tourists and tribal members while dropping off food and water during the operation.
The evacuation effort wrapped up around 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Nickerson’s husband was among those evacuated.
“Our hearts are heavy with grief,” her family said in a statement. “Chenoa’s light will forever be a part of all of us, and we will ensure that her spirit continues to shine brightly. Her memory will never fade, and we will honor her by carrying forward the joy and love she brought into all of our lives.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
