SUPAI, ARIZONA (AP) – United States (US) President Joe Biden has approved a disaster declaration made by the Havasupai Tribe in northern Arizona, freeing up funds for flood damage as it prepares to re-open for tourists after nearly three years.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed on Sunday that federal emergency aid will be given to supplement the tribe’s own recovery efforts from severe flooding last October.
The funds will be for the tribe and certain nonprofits to share costs for emergency work and repairs from flood damage.
It comes as the Havasupai Indian Reservation, which lies deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon, is preparing to open up its majestic blue-green waterfalls for visitors for the first time since March 2020. The tribe had closed to protect its members from the pandemic.
Tribal officials decided to extend the closure through the 2022 tourism season.
