Storm is ‘unprecedented’ event, LA mayor says In a Saturday news conference, Nancy Ward, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, warned Hilary “could be one of the most devastating storms that we’ve had hit California in more than a decade.” Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday for a large swath of Southern California to support hurricane response and recovery efforts. A person died when their vehicle was swept away near Santa Rosalía in Mexico, along the Baja California Peninsula, Mexican officials said in a news release Saturday.Ĭalifornia Gov. Hilary weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm before it made landfall over the northern Baja California Peninsula early Sunday.Īt least one death is already attributed to the storm. The Los Angeles Unified district, the country’s second largest school district, also said schools would be closed Monday. Schools in the San Diego Unified School District announced they would be postponing the first day of the school year to Tuesday. Parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties could see up to 1.5 inches of rain dumped per hour, the National Weather Service has said. More than 7 million people, including those in downtown Los Angeles, are under a flash flood warning through early Monday morning.
The three most-impacted airports are all in Hilary’s range: Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada, San Diego International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to .Īnd as Hilary triggered flood warnings across Los Angeles, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook the area and other parts of Southern California Sunday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey. More than than 1,000 flights within, into or out of the US have been canceled Sunday and more than 4,900 have been delayed. And Nevada’s governor declared a state of emergency Sunday as the storm drew closer. In Arizona, authorities issued evacuation orders in parts of Lake Mead National Park urging residents to seek higher ground ahead of potential floods. Though the storm is expected to weaken, it will continue lashing the region with severe weather as it moves further into the US. Live updates: Tropical Storm Hilary to bring major flooding risk to California In Palm Springs, the city manager declared a local emergency due to “unprecedented rainfall and flooding,” with city officials saying there had already been one swift water rescue by Sunday afternoon.
Parts of Palm Springs saw more than 2 inches of water in just six hours Sunday – nearly half of what they average over an entire year, the weather service said.Īnd with the day not yet over, there were multiple other rainfall records broken Sunday, including in downtown Los Angeles, Burbank and Palmdale. Hilary’s core – in other words, its center – crossed into Southern California Sunday evening, but the state began feeling the storm’s effects much earlier in the day and rain totals have added up. Terrill/APĬars were getting stuck in floodwaters and local authorities were conducting rescues, the service said. The National Weather Service said parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were already experiencing “dangerous flooding” Sunday evening, writing on social media, “THIS IS LIFE THREATENING FLOODING!”Ī motorist removes belongings from his vehicle after becoming stuck in a flooded street in Palm Desert, California, on Sunday, August 20. One California official has warned Hilary could be among the most devastating storms to hit the state in recent years. “We’re not built for this kind of rainfall.”Īuthorities across southern California pleaded with residents not to drive, warning of mudslides, road deterioration and dangerous debris flows and flooding, as some communities declared emergencies to respond to the storm. Certainly not in the middle of summer,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told CNN’s Jim Acosta Sunday afternoon, saying he was worried about potential power outages from the wind as well as flooding. “We are not used to this level of precipitation, generally. After making landfall in Mexico earlier Sunday, Tropical Storm Hilary has crossed into California, where it is unleashing heavy rain and turning roads into gushing streams as officials warn of potentially deadly floods.
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