Situation Fragile In Grand Canyon Village

Trails And Footbridges To Remote Tribal Village Must Be Rebuilt Following Flash Flood

(AP)  Crews were waiting for floodwaters to recede so they can begin restoring washed-out trails and footbridges to a remote village near the Grand Canyon hit by flooding, authorities said.

Some evacuated residents of the American Indian village of Supai were allowed to return Tuesday. Authorities planned to fly them in by helicopter after creeks overflowing with runoff from severe thunderstorms washed away trails during the weekend.

Coconino County Emergency Manger Sherrie Collins said crews shipped horse feed to Supai for livestock, and they'll likely follow up later in the week with meals that were donated in nearby Peach Springs.

"They'd like to have them for storage," Collins said. "Things are pretty fragile down there. The infrastructure is all intact, but if they have another flood, it may not hold a second time."

Supai is located near the bottom of the canyon in an area west of Grand Canyon National Park headquarters. It's an 8-mile hike from the nearest parking lot, dropping straight down on a winding canyon trail.

About 400 people live there year-round. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said after touring the area by air Monday that the most important task was to restore a pack trail that is a main path for delivering mail, food and other supplies.

Rescue crews on Monday tracked down 11 hikers from two families that were the last remaining tourists unaccounted for, said Coconino County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry Blair.

Authorities are still getting calls from people who believe their loved ones may be in the canyon, Blair said. But everyone who followed the rules and signed in at the bottom of the trail into the remote area has been evacuated.

"The only other possibility that exists is someone who went down there who didn't sign up," Blair said Tuesday.

Crews checked the hiking trails and surrounding gorges by helicopter and foot again Tuesday and will do a more comprehensive ground search when the flood waters recede in a few days, Blair said.

"It's just very dangerous right now," Blair said.

Thunderstorms dumped 3 to 6 inches of rain on the entire region Friday and Saturday and about 2 inches more on Sunday. The storms sent a rush of water through parts of the canyon.

Supai sits in a region popular with hikers and river runners, with towering blue-green waterfalls.

"It may not hold a second time!"
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Just an inquiry here about whether the Corps of Engineers could build a second, more modern dam, while the first one lasts? Of course there are probably all kinds of EPA regs that would delay any such project until it''s too late. And there are surely a lot of people who wouldn''t feel that these 400 people are as important as the NO population, which would delay competitive funding as well. Besides, the view of people drowning and buildings collapsing and tumbling dirt and rocks is probably a real camcorder moment for tourists viewing from the Skywalk. Them burros falling off the trail has to be a real knee slapper. Do they charge extra for that? Forget I asked.

[missingamerica]

lolll...try "Rules are for the little people."....

More coffee, quick...

[missingamerica]

"But everyone who followed the rules and signed in at the bottom of the trail into the remote area has been evacuated."

Ummm...gee, but it is hard to resist pointing out the specific type of people who believe that "Rules are the little people."...