Heavy rains near the southern entrance to the Grand Canyon prompted officials to evacuate more than 100 people from the nearby town of Tusayan due to dangerous flash flooding Aug 22.
At approximately 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies made their way to the town of Tusayan after receiving reports that after three inches of rainfall, some sections of U.S. Highway 64 were affected with flooding that was up to three feet deep, a release from the sheriff’s office stated. As a result, officials temporarily closed off the roadway.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Tuesday, August 22, 2023
on behalf of the @CoconinoCounty Sheriff’s Office:Heavy rains cause flooding conditions and evacuations in Tusayan
Tusayan. AZ -On Tuesday, August 22nd at approximately 4:00 pm, Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies from the… pic.twitter.com/I7FQkTUB1B
— Coconino County (@CoconinoCounty) August 23, 2023
Students at the nearby Grand Canyon Unified School District were forced to shelter at the school during the flooding where they were provided dinner before being reunited with their families, CNN News reported.
Flooding had also affected the town, forcing more than 100 residents and hotel guests to evacuate the area, the release continued. Tusayan is located approximately one mile from the Grand Canyon’s Southern Rim.
Daniel Fulghum, a Grand Canyon guide of 15 years, told CBS News that as the flood waters abated there were “200, 300 cars lined up waiting to get through” parked on the highway with their engines off as first responders used snow plows and backhoes to clear the highway of mud. (RELATED: Yellowstone National Park Suffers Severe Damage After Intense Flooding From Rain, Snow Runoff)
“I’ve never seen anything like that on the rim. It was amazing,” he said.
Fulghum had waited, himself, for approximately five hours as he needed to get back home to his seven huskies who were “waiting for dinner.”
A flood advisory remained in effect for the area Tuesday and was extended to Wednesday morning with officials warning residents and visitors to be cautious of standing water covering roadways, CNN reported.