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Governor: All Accounted For After Dam Break

No Word On When American Indians Can Return Home

POSTED: 4:08 pm MST August 18, 2008
UPDATED: 1:37 pm MST August 19, 2008

Authorities have found all 11 people who were unaccounted for after a dam burst, causing major flooding in Supai Canyon, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano announced.

IMAGES: Bird's-Eye View Of Supai Dam Break

Rescuers already transported 170 people out of Supai Canyon on Sunday. Another 120 tourists and residents were airlifted out of the canyon by the end of Monday, Blair said.

No more tourists were being allowed in.

A Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman said five helicopters were taking turns ferrying 269 people out of the Havasupai Tribe's village of Supai, about 2,300 feet below the canyon rim. On Monday, at least 85 people were airlifted to safety. Authorities also planned to deliver food, water and other provisions to the 100 residents who chose to remain.

It's unclear how many supplies Supai will need since many are choosing to leave the village, and authorities don't know how long it will take to reopen hiking trails to the public.

"As of this morning there were no residents asking for supplies," Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge said. "The store was still open this morning."

Gov. Janet Napolitano toured the flood damage and met with Havasupai leaders Monday. She said afterward that crews must restore a pack trail that is used to deliver mail, food and other supplies to the village. Part of the trail is still underwater, she said.

Supai is home to about 400 Havasupai Reservation tribal members. The town is located about 75 miles northwest of Grand Canyon Village, a popular tourist area on the canyon's south rim. In another part of the canyon, the Redlands Earthen Dam was breached about 45 miles upstream from Supai, flooding parts of the canyon and nearly washing away rafters, park officials said. The small dam forms a pond to provide water for cattle and other livestock.

Sen. John McCain said he plans to tour the area on Thursday. "The evacuations certainly helped prevent injury and loss of life," McCain said in statement.

There were no reports of injuries.

'We Huddled Together In The Dirt,' Evacuee Says

A woman caught in the floodwaters said she and 15 other rafters found safety in an alcove.

The Nevada City, Calif. woman, who didn't want her last name used, said her group was left stranded Saturday night on a ledge where Havasu Creek and the Colorado River join after floodwaters carried their raft away.

"We huddled together in the dirt," Shawna said. "Slept as we could."

When the flooding hit, the woman said the group climbed up the cliff to escape the rushing waters.

Once help arrived, each person was flown one at a time to the other side of the Colorado River, where they boarded a helicopter and were flown to the Hualapai Hilltop. They were then transported to the American Red Cross shelter in Peach Springs.

One camper watched in amazement as waters rose six feet in about an hour's time.

"I heard what I thought was just the sound of rain just coming in and said, 'Oh, we're about to get flooded,'" said Craig Lindquist. "And I woke up and it wasn't rain. The water, you could see it moving up. It was literally lapping at our tent."

Evacuees were being taken to a Red Cross shelter in Peach Springs, about 60 miles southwest of Supai, Oltrogge said. The shelter is located at the Hualapai Tribal gym off Diamond Creek Road in Peach Springs. The shelter will provide an array of support services, including meals, a safe sleeping place and counseling, said Tracey Kiest of the Arizona chapter of the American Red Cross.

"It was scary," said Kishan Moti, a rescued hiker. "You worry about other people and you worry about yourself."
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