Grand Canyon hiker deaths rise amid intense heat, flash floods
Multiple hikers have died this summer in the Grand Canyon National Park — a U.S. West landscape known not only for its rugged beauty, but also for its perilous weather extremes.
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There have been 14 fatalities at Grand Canyon National Park this season, just below than the annual average of about 15 deaths, NPS spokesperson Rebecca Roland told The Hill. With the monsoon period — July to September — still underway, she stressed that hikers should remain aware of flash floods and excessive heat.
“The arid, sparsely vegetated environment here means that rainfall quickly generates runoff because the ground doesn’t absorb it well,” Roland said in an emailed statement. “This runoff moves rapidly through narrow canyons and steep terrain, turning dry streambeds into torrents of water within minutes, even from relatively small storms.”
Roland suggested that visitors refer to the NPS Grand Canyon Weather Dangers website for detailed guidelines, adding that parks officials and Grand Canyon Conservancy volunteers operate an active, preventative search and rescue team. This group, she explained, also educates hikers on-site, asks them critical questions and encourages people to turn back if there is a concern.
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