The Latest: Floods force hundreds to reschedule camping trip
Hundreds of people who planned a trip to a northern Arizona canyon world-renowned for its blue-green waterfalls will have to reschedule.
Heavy flooding forced the Havasupai Tribe to evacuate 200 tourists from its reservation deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon on Thursday. Tourists were sent fleeing from a campground as a creek that runs through it rose several feet.
The canyon will be closed to visitors for at least a week.
Tribal spokeswoman Abbie Fink says 300 people with upcoming trips will have to reschedule.
Phoenix resident Andrea Molina and her partner were supposed to arrive Friday morning for the hike into the canyon. She says she won’t be able to recoup all the costs, but she is grateful they weren’t in the midst of the flooding.
___
12:01 a.m.
Crews will begin assessing flood damage on tribal land in Arizona known for its towering blue-green waterfalls.
A popular campground on the Havasupai reservation deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon was inundated with floodwater this week. The shallow creek that runs through it rose several feet.
About 200 tourists had been staying there and were forced to evacuate Thursday by helicopter.
Tribal spokeswoman Abbie Fink says work will begin Friday to check the stability of an eight-mile trail that leads to Supai Village, the campground, and other amenities.
She says it will take at least a week to determine when visitors can return. Any trips scheduled in that time will have to be rebooked.
Tribal buildings above the campground sustained minor flooding.