# Havasu Flood



## original durangotang (Jul 11, 2008)

_If anyone has more info. Especially pictures. 
_


_Another story said 12-16 rafters were stranded in the river with their boats floating downstream._


_Stranded at Havasu Creek would make sense.
_





_Associated Press - August 17, 2008 7:24 PM ET _
PHOENIX (AP) - An earthen dam broke near the Grand Canyon following heavy rains, and officials are evacuating hundreds from the massive gorge.
Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge (ohl-TRAH'-gee) says Redlands Dam broke at about 6 a.m. and is causing some flooding in the town of Supai (SU'-peye) at the bottom of the canyon.
She says Supai is not under water. About 400 members of the Havasupai Tribe live there.
A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff says the area received 3 to 6 inches of rain between Friday and Saturday, and saw about two more inches Sunday.
Oltrogge says some campers and river runners in the canyon also are being evacuated by seven helicopters at the scene.
She says evacuees are being taken to a Red Cross shelter in Peach Springs.
No injuries have been reported.


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## floaty22 (Dec 3, 2003)

I just talked to a friend and they said that the privates had their boats pulled downstream from the flash out of the mouth of havasu. The park was taking each person from the party out individualy up to the north rim and then back over to peach springs.
The company I row baggage for has a trip right above Havasu. If I get some news I will write back in.
I just looked at the diamond gauge and it spiked at 23-24000 earlier today. That would be insane at havasu confluence. An extra 4500 cfs than usual day high level.


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FLAGSTAFF HAS EXTENDED THE
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
WEST CENTRAL COCONINO COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...
* UNTIL 645 PM MST SUNDAY
* AT 1230 PM MST...ADDITIONAL FLOOD WATERS CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN
CATARACT CANYON DUE TO A BREACH IN REDLANDS DAM WEST OF VALLE. IN
ADDITION...THE SUPAI POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT EXTENSIVE
FLOODING DUE TO HEAVY RAIN SATURDAY IS ALREADY OCCURRING ON
CATARACT CREEK IN SUPAI VILLAGE. EVACUATIONS ARE ONGOING.
* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
SUPAI...HUALAPAI HILLTOP TRAIL DOWN TO SUPAI...CATARACT CREEK...AND
HAVASU CREEK TO THE CONFLUENCE WITH THE COLORADO RIVER.
FLOOD WATERS FROM A DAM BREAK AND HEAVY RAINS ON SATURDAY ARE MOVING
DOWN CATARACT CREEK FROM WEST OF VALLE TO SUPAI VILLAGE. THE FLOOD
CREST FROM THE DAM BREAK WILL LIKELY TAKE PLACE BETWEEN 2 AND 6 PM
MST...ALTHOUGH FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TODAY. DO NOT TRAVEL TO OR FROM HUALAPAI
HILLTOP TO SUPAI TODAY! SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
FLAGSTAFF.


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## rogerL1961 (Aug 2, 2008)

I didn't even know there was a dam up there!!


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## original durangotang (Jul 11, 2008)

rogerL1961 said:


> I didn't even know there was a dam up there!!


Apparently it wasn't much of a dam.

This mornings reports are saying it was mostly rain. That the dam was a minor part compared to the reported 3-6 inches of rain they have gotten.

Imagine floating your way down the Colorado and the next thing you know you are in Peach Springs and your boats and gear are somewhere down stream.

That is at least the third flash flood on Havasu Creek since the first time I was down there.

Then it was literally: the most beautiful place on earth.


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## CanyonEJ (Jul 28, 2008)

Wow, I just heard about this last night. I was at Havasu 6 days ago. 

It'll be interesting to see the change when I go back in September.

Johnny... how was it...


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## tboner (Oct 13, 2003)

From CNN- Officials to decide on further Grand Canyon evacuations - CNN.com

they have some good video and said the 16 rafters where from N. Cali.


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

So why the evac? It seems the initial surge could be an issue, but after that its just a faster than usual ride. Lots of wood, but no different than any other flash flood in a tributary?

Enlighten me.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

No word yet on how the empty rafts fared at Lava -- right or left run, how they handled the V-Wave, etc.

Rich Phillips
VP, GCPBA
gcpba.org


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## CanyonEJ (Jul 28, 2008)

For the boaters, the main issue is that the tie up is in the mouth of the creek. As has happened before, when it blows out, boats get ripped off the bolts and ropes and sent downstream. Since the group was on shore when it happend, they were boatless.

Damn. When I was there last week, there were 24 boats in the mouth. 6 OARS boats, 6 AZRA boats, 8 OU boats, 3 boat private and a Hatch motor rig. That would've been chaos.



Canada said:


> So why the evac? It seems the initial surge could be an issue, but after that its just a faster than usual ride. Lots of wood, but no different than any other flash flood in a tributary?
> 
> Enlighten me.


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

The evacs seem to be for the 16 that lost their rafts. I am guessing they were just beached and the rising water took the rafts. The people were found together clinging to a cliff face. Other then those people, you have to choose yourself to be airlifted out, so most rafters/kayakers will just enjoy the extra flow.


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## CanyonEJ (Jul 28, 2008)

Snowhere said:


> The evacs seem to be for the 16 that lost their rafts. I am guessing they were just beached and the rising water took the rafts. The people were found together clinging to a cliff face. Other then those people, you have to choose yourself to be airlifted out, so most rafters/kayakers will just enjoy the extra flow.


I liked it when they said that the water must now be too high for the "rafting tours". I wonder if anyone got to run Lava on that surge.


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## original durangotang (Jul 11, 2008)

richp said:


> Hi,
> 
> No word yet on how the empty rafts fared at Lava -- right or left run, how they handled the V-Wave, etc.
> 
> ...


I have heard it said: More boats would make it through right side up if it wasn't for boatmen.

I also heard they had collected the boats.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

The Diamond Creek gauge (on the main Colorado below Havasu) only went up about 4,000 cfs on that event. In this case, that means the difference between running Lava at 18k and at 22k -- not terribly much. 

But in the much smaller Havasu canyon -- and particularly at the narrows at the mouth -- 4k cfs would have been a big thing.

For folks who haven't been there, the ledges at the mouth of Havasu are ample in width and length. Unless something really unusual happened, the stranded boaters would have had plenty of space to wait. And of course the downstream boating traffic would have continued unabated, so it wasn't like they were going to be there all alone for very long.

Still, it would have been a terrifying and potentially deadly situation. Sure glad it seems that everyone came out OK physically. Hopefully no-one was traumatized too badly by the experience.

Rich Phillips
VP, GCPBA
gcpba.org


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## original durangotang (Jul 11, 2008)

I recall a commercial trip where Diamond Creek flash flooded and one member of the party spent 2 hours with finger and foot holds on a cliff down there.

It depends where the people were when Havasu flooded. There could be some very sketchy places to trapped.

The result of the flash flood in Diamond Creek is vivid in my mind because I remember seeing their bus in the Colorado River.

All we could see were 4 tires sticking under the surface of the water.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Hi,

Yes, certainly there are spots in there where you would not want to be in a 4k flash. Lots of thankfulness that no-one from the boat party was harmed, but from the most recent news reports, not everyone farther up the canyon has been accounted for.

However, reliable river lore (there's an oxymoron for you) declares that the bus/truck had a great run down Diamond and into the Colorado....

Rich Phillips


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## CanyonEJ (Jul 28, 2008)

Just got this email. Nothing new, but the first official word from the NPS.

> ______________________________________________
>
> Rescue Operation in Supai Village Continues
>
> Flagstaff, AZ- As of 8:30 pm on Sunday, August 17, 170 occupants of the Supai Village and campground have been safely airlifted to the Hualapai Hilltop area and subsequently bussed to an American Red Cross, evacuation reception center at a tribal gymnasium in Peach Springs, Arizona.

Rescuers from nine public safety organizations have worked together throughout the day to locate campers and village residents and safely transport them to the top of the canyon. Air operations involving at least five helicopters from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona National
Guard were suspended late Sunday due to darkness and the nature of the terrain of the canyon.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies, BIA Police Officers, and US Deputy Marshals have been inserted into the canyon and will remain there throughout the night to maintain public safety and closely monitor the current weather conditions and the water level. Rescuers will reevaluate existing weather conditions and the level of flood waters at first light on Monday morning and make a decision regarding whether or not to resume air evacuations. Some individuals who were believed to be in the canyon at the time of the flooding are currently unaccounted for. Rescuers conducted an extensive search for those missing individuals today and will continue their efforts throughout tomorrow.

Several storms have passed over Northern Arizona during the last several days releasing significant rainfall. Additionally, at 6:00 am this
morning, Coconino County Officials learned that a small earthen dam was breached, allowing additional water to flow down Cataract Canyon in a westerly direction eventually feeding into Supai Canyon. Flooding in Supai Canyon and the potential for additional flooding necessitated the evacuation of approximately 170 campers and full time residents.

Members of the public with questions regarding the location of people who may have been in the area are advised to call the American Red Cross Evacuation Center at (928-769-2654.

> # # #
>
> SHANNAN D. MARCAK
> Public Affairs Specialist
> Grand Canyon National Park
> (928-638-7958
> [email protected]


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## original durangotang (Jul 11, 2008)

I have flood envy.

While I am very happy that no one was hurt in Havasu I would sure like to see some of that rain come our way, to the Animas/San Juan.

It seems there is major rain in every direction. North South East and West. But not on our watersshed.

i suspect we have been cursed.

And the curse has a name: The Animas La Plata Project.

God is not happy with that boondoggle.


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## rafterbrooks (Nov 6, 2004)

I have a friend who was with that commercial trip at Diamond. You can read about it in "Death in the Grand Canyon"- Close calls section. I believe that it happened last year also were the gear was swept away and the peeps had to motor to South cove without gear with the Haulipi


original durangotang said:


> I recall a commercial trip where Diamond Creek flash flooded and one member of the party spent 2 hours with finger and foot holds on a cliff down there.
> 
> It depends where the people were when Havasu flooded. There could be some very sketchy places to trapped.
> 
> ...


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