Dozens of people evacuated from parts of the Grand Canyon after flash floods - CBS News

The National Parks Service reported the flooding hit Saturday afternoon. No injuries were reported. Park officials closed the entire North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch until further notice, cutting off one of the most traveled routes between the canyon rim and the bottom.

Phantom Ranch sits near Bright Angel Creek at the base of the Grand Canyon and is one of the park's most sought-after destinations. Getting a reservation there is notoriously competitive, and many visitors plan trips around it months or years in advance. An aerial evacuation suggests trail access was compromised badly enough that hiking out was not a safe option for those 50 people.

For anyone who had a trip planned to that part of the canyon in the coming days, the indefinite closure means those plans are on hold with no clear end date. Park officials asked people to stay away from the affected areas while the situation remained active.

Grand Canyon sits about 400 miles west of Lubbock, and West Texas families make the drive regularly, especially in summer. Flash floods in canyon terrain can move fast and leave little warning. That's part of what makes an aerial response necessary even when no one ends up hurt.