SUPAI, Ariz. -- Dozens of Havasupai tribal members from a remote village near the Grand Canyon are returning home by bus and helicopter on Wednesday.
Bureau of Indian Affairs spokeswoman Adrienne King said at least 50 Supai residents had signed up for transportation back home, but that number likely will go higher.
She said the first bus carrying residents left at 9 a.m., and two or three more trips will be made to return the rest home. All are expected to return to Supai on Wednesday.
BIA officials and Havasupai members plan to meet at 3 p.m. to discuss the damage to the Supai area caused by weekend flooding and a plan to fix it.
The American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter closed the shelter at the Hualapai tribal gym. Red Cross volunteers have been on the scene providing support and a safe place for people impacted by the Supai Canyon flood since last weekend. Anyone impacted by the Supai Canyon flood can access help through a toll free number which is 1-800-842-7349.
Supai is located near the bottom of the canyon in an area west of Grand Canyon National Park headquarters. It's an eight-mile hike from the nearest parking lot, dropping straight down on a winding canyon trail.
About 400 people live there year-round. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said after touring the area by air Monday that the most important task was to restore a pack trail that is a main path for delivering mail, food and other supplies.
Rescue crews on Monday tracked down 11 hikers from two families that were the last remaining tourists unaccounted for, said Coconino County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry Blair.
Authorities are still getting calls from people who believe their loved ones may be in the canyon, Blair said. But everyone who followed the rules and signed in at the bottom of the trail into the remote area has been evacuated.
"The only other possibility that exists is someone who went down there who didn't sign up," Blair said Tuesday.
Crews checked the hiking trails and surrounding gorges by helicopter and foot again Tuesday and will do a more comprehensive ground search when the flood waters recede in a few days, Blair said.
"It's just very dangerous right now," Blair said.
Thunderstorms dumped 3 to 6 inches of rain on the entire region Friday and Saturday and about 2 inches more on Sunday. The storms sent a rush of water through parts of the canyon.
Supai sits in a region popular with hikers and river runners, with towering blue-green waterfalls.
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UNEDITED: Helicopter Rescues Campers
