All accounted for in Grand Canyon

PHOENIX -- Searchers have found a handful of hikers who were considered missing after flooding struck a remote part of the Grand Canyon, authorities said Tuesday.

The 11 people from two families were tracked down in the canyon on Monday, Coconino County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry Blair said. They were the remaining people unaccounted for after creeks overflowing with runoff from severe thunderstorms washed away trails during the weekend and stranded dozens of tourists.

"We have met them, and they're OK," Blair said.

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.

Helicopters ferried 426 people out of the canyon from Supai, a Havasupai village near most of the flooding. Many of the stranded tourists made their way to Supai before catching a helicopter ride to the rim.

Supai is extremely remote, 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.

Authorities said the village sustained only minor damage from the storms with water and electric lines intact. The area will stay closed to tourists, but Havasupai residents returned Tuesday.