Grand Canyon flash floods trigger cancellations for businesses near North Rim

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - The search for one missing hiker continues after flash flooding swept through the Grand Canyon, killing two people. The damage severed the South Rim’s water pipeline, forcing a shutdown of overnight lodging inside the park. 

Businesses right outside the park are feeling the impact as well.

North Rim Impact:

It is a familiar nightmare for businesses near the North Rim. Just as they were recovering from last summer’s Dragon Bravo Fire, the recent flooding is wiping out reservations all over again.

"This was a pretty big blow the second time around," said Larry Innes, owner of Kaibab Lodge. "I’ve got just absolutely incredible employees, and we are all kind of having to dig in and say here we go again."

Local perspective:

Innes owns Kaibab Lodge, a family business just four miles outside the park’s North Rim entrance. While his doors are still open, the aftermath of the flooding hit hard.

"It’s destroyed our business," Innes said.

What they're saying:

He says a majority of their bookings depend on rim-to-rim hikers.

"It is the lifeblood of the North Rim. It’s really the lifeblood of the Grand Canyon," Innes said. "So with the trailhead being closed with the floods, pretty much everybody’s canceled their reservations."

In Season:

September and October are their busiest months. Combined with the holiday weekend, Kaibab Lodge was expected to be at capacity.

"We were booked full," Innes said. "You need to understand, the rim-to-rim hiker comes after us months in advance. And our cabins and rooms fill up. And we are maybe at 25, 30% this weekend."

Looking Back:

It is a harsh case of déjà vu for local businesses still recovering from last summer's Dragon Bravo Fire.

"We all used a lot of our resources, mortgaged other assets to get through last year," Innes said. "Now we’re in the same boat but actually worse than we were last year because we are carrying what we tried to carry last year. We’re just not sure how we’re going to get through."

Now, last year's losses are stacking on top of new ones.

"It’s in the millions," Innes said. "I mean we’ve lost a lot of revenue. We’ve lost half our revenue."

Open and Operating:

While certain trails are still closed, the park itself and the Kaibab Lodge are still open for business.

"We’re open," Innes said. "Come up and enjoy it. It’s beautiful. You can still see the Grand Canyon."

What You Should Know:

While you can find lodging around the park, remember the flooding damaged the pipeline, which led to Stage 4 water restrictions and temporarily suspending overnight lodging in the park through Sept. 13.