Breaking News: Dam Breaks Near the Grand Canyon Forcing Hundreds to Evacuate [Havasupai]

ktnv ^

[flyfree]

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 says Redlands Dam broke at about 6 a.m. and is causing some flooding in the town of Supai at the bottom of the canyon.

She says Supai is not under water. About 400 members of the Havasupai Tribe live there.

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.

[DManA]

For Action News, something that happened 12 hours ago is “breaking news”.

[null and void]

Just dam...

[flyfree]

http://www.abc15.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=136d63b7-bfaa-4d77-80ab-06c0f575b557

[flyfree]

Havasupai Falls

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Glad to hear no one was hurt. Who takes care of this tribe? Do they fend for themselves, or will FEMA arrive to give them debit cards for drugs, flat-screen TVs and lap dances? /Sarcasm off. Maybe.

[steve86]

It wasn’t 12 hours ago.

[kms61]

I think they do okay with tourism. They have a lodge and campground. Hopefully it wasn’t damaged.

[umgud]

Yahoo calls it “early Sunday”.

[apocalypto]

Beautiful.

[flyfree]

http://www.havasupaitribe.com/

[cmsgop]

[TBall]

Wow, that looks too pretty to be real.

[flyfree]

Moving people out of the canyon probably had to happen in daylight. Supai is in a very remote area. The only way in and out is by Helicopter, hiking or equestrian.

[flyfree]

Havasupi is one of the jewels of Arizona.

[HiJinx]

I had read that the monsoon rains in northern Arizona have been heavy for the last two weeks or so. Something like this was bound to happen.

[flyfree]

Yes it is. More photos here:

http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=havasupai

[lainie]

I was wondering if this was the same ‘beauty spot’ I’d read about before.

yikes.

[Flycatcher]

I spent the night in my little single-wide getaway about 15 miles from Grand Canyon West last night. I thought the winds were going to tip the mobile over. Lightning was coming from all directions -- every second. Then huge downpours of rain followed by nothing. Then more downpours, then nothing.

Man, I love the monsoon season!

[apocalypto]

TNX!