When nature unwraps its wild and violent ways, humans are wise to get out of the way–and in a hurry. That was the case Saturday, as the bounds of Havasupai Creek were ravaged by massive flooding, forcing over a hundred tourists to be rescued from Havasu Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park by National Guardsmen. Unfortunately, one woman who was hiking remains missing at this hour.
BREAKING: Catastrophic flooding has cut off all access to Supai and Havasupai Falls. The tribal council has decided to close their lands. Gov. Hobbs has activated the national guard to assist. Hundreds of hikers are still stranded. Watch at 5 for the latest.@FOX10Phoenix pic.twitter.com/2LJ3Zhi9aJ
— Trenton Hooker (@trentonhooker) August 24, 2024
KPNX-TV reported on the situation Sunday morning:
COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — The Arizona National Guard was able to help rescue more than 100 people after severe flooding destroyed parts of Havasupai Creek.
Rescue teams in the Grand Canyon National Park continue searching for a Gilbert woman who was swept away in a powerful flash flood Thursday while hiking in Havasu Canyon.
Chenoa Nickerson and her husband were half a mile above the Colorado River confluence when they were swept away by the fast-moving flood waters, according to the National Park Service. Nickerson’s husband was rescued by a group of rafters but was unable to find his 33-year-old wife.
“We love her and we won’t give up until we find her,” Nickerson’s brother Janosh Wolters told 12News.
Park authorities said on Saturday that the search is ongoing for Chenoa, who is described as 5’8″, 190 lbs. with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black tank top, black shorts, and blue hiking boots:
August 24, 2024—Search and rescue operations continue for Chenoa Nickerson. Grand Canyon National Park is actively engaged in search and rescue operations following a flash flood that struck Havasu Creek on August 22, 2024.
Chenoa Nickerson is missing as of August 22 at… pic.twitter.com/GTcRkrBOWt
— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) August 25, 2024
But there is some good news: most of the people trapped by the sudden deluge were rescued:
As of Saturday night, 104 people had been rescued from Havasupai Falls from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, according to the Arizona National Guard.
…
Maj Erin Hannigan, communications director for the Arizona National Guard, said the evacuations started on Friday evening after the Governor called on them to help and continued until Saturday afternoon at 1:30pm.
Hannigan said tourists who were evacuated were taken to a landing zone near their vehicle allowing them to reunite with their cars and return home.
“They cheered after the safety brief,” Hannigan said. “They cheered when they got into the aircraft, and then they cheered when they got out.”
The area bordering the park is home to several Native American nations, including the Havasupai Tribe:
Abbie Fink, spokesperson for the Havasupai Tribe, said the flooding caused extensive damage to the trail leading into Supai and much of the village including common and public areas.
“The campground suffered considerable damage. That’s where the vast majority of the water flow was,” Fink explained. So it’s unsafe to be in there right now and travel.
Fink said tribal members are still in Supai and are “safe either in their homes or in other buildings in the village.”
She added, “Our tribal members have been accounted for, and now we are focusing on getting supplies into Supai for those that are still living there.”
The AP reported that because of the reservation’s remote location, the rescuers are facing some unique challenges:
The Havasupai Tribe’s reservation is one of the most remote in the continental U.S., accessible only by foot, mule or helicopter. The Tribal Council closed the steep, winding trail that leads to the reservation after the flooding and asked visitors with permits through Sunday not to come.
Meanwhile, Nickerson’s family waits for word on the 33-year-old hiker’s fate, as the AP story (linked above) noted:
Tamara Morales, a sister to the missing hiker, noted the National Guard deployment and praised rescue crews with the National Park Service for “navigating incredibly dangerous terrain with extremely limited methods of communication while leaving no stone unturned.”
“We are profoundly grateful for you and fully acknowledge that you are currently defying the impossible,” Morales said on Facebook.
Prayers for all of the Guardsman and others taking part in the rescue efforts, and for the family of Chenoa Nickerson in this difficult moment.
As this is a developing story, RedState will provide updates as they become available.
