Hilary is making its way toward California with punishing rains
Tropical Storm Warning for Southern California During the Baja California Flood Event on Sunday (Monday, July 17) and through the Southern Hemisphere
Hilary is expected to remain a tropical storm before it reaches southern California — meaning wind speeds are expected to be between 39 to 73 miles per hour. Along with those winds, forecasters warn the heavy rain associated with the system will pose serious threat of “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” to the region.
Hilary, which did not make it through Texas, has made its way through Mexico near the Baja California peninsula. The Mexican town of Santa Rosalia was hit by the storm and at least one person died in the water. Mexico’s Hurricane watch is over but the Baja California coast is still at risk of flash floods.
As as of 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, the storm was about 220 miles south-southeast of San Diego and traveling at 25 miles per hour. It is expected to sweep across southern California by the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Portions of southern California and southern Nevada are expected to average between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall — but could receive up to 10 inches. Some parts will likely accumulate more rain in just a matter of hours than they typically do in an entire year, forecasters said. Winds will also be particularly strong and gusty on elevated terrain.
It’s first ever tropical storm warning covers most of southern California, which is prone to disasters like fires and earthquakes. Meteorologists say the last time a storm of this strength hit southern California was back in 1939.
There was a state of emergency in several counties on Saturday night. Some of those communities, like parts of San Bernardino County, have already received evacuation orders.
The Flood Operations Center, Cal Fire and the California National Guard are on standby with water vehicles and water rescue teams amid flood threats. State officials also urged residents to sign up for flood and evacuation alerts from their counties, as well as prepare their pets and family in case they need to evacuate.
The Los Angeles Urban Superhighway has a Tropical Tropical Cyclone: Stay Safe and Protect Yourself, and Keep Your Kids Away
The first tropical storm to hit the region in nine decades dropped as much as 7 inches of rainwater in some mountain regions and up to 4 inches in lower lying areas.
Early Monday, officials reclassified the storm as a post-tropical cyclone. The storm’s center is expected to travel north through Nevada. The wind gusts in Las Vegas were at 75 miles per hour. Flash flood warnings will remain in effect there until 6:30 a.m. PDT.
The storm traveled from northern Baja California in Mexico to the US, causing flooding along the coastline, in the mountains, and in the desert city of Palm Springs.
Light rain can pose potentially deadly threats, as shown by the warnings from the National Weather Service. It reported late Thursday night that the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles were getting some rain at a rate of 1 to 1.5 inches per hour.
Our message is the same. Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay home,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at a Sunday news conference ahead of the rain’s peak. She said she’d spoken with Vice President Kamala Harris, who offered federal support.
The before and after school programs in the LAUSD were canceled on Monday. In our school district, we cover 700 square miles. “There will be some impact in some areas.” said the district’s Supt. “We can’t check those areas.” so the prudent thing to do to avoid harm … is to call off schools for [Monday].”
Part of Interstate 10, which cuts through the valley west of Joshua National Tree National Park, were closed because of flooding and debris, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The US has issued a ‘Tropical Storm Warning’ for Southern California as Tropical Storm Hilary moves across the region. “Heavy rains associated with the system are expected to cause catastrophic and life-threatening flooding to the region,” the warning stated. Hilary was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Sunday, hours after it made landfall in Baja California, Mexico.