Grand Canyon flash flood leaves 20 missing, forces evacuations and park closures

In the ancient corridors of the Grand Canyon, where stone and sky have long reminded humanity of its smallness, a half-hour of rain on August 29 was enough to reshape a creek bed, erase footbridges, and swallow twenty souls into uncertainty. The flash flood that tore through Bright Angel Canyon in Arizona forced more than sixty people to flee Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, while damaging the park's sole water pipeline and suspending overnight stays. Nature, indifferent to infrastructure and itineraries alike, has reminded us once more that even the most visited wilderness remains,