Tropical Storm Hilary Approaches Southern California, Bringing Historic Rainfall and Fierce Winds
Updated August 20, 2023 at 2:58 PM ET
Tropical Storm Hilary is approaching Southern California and parts of the Southwest, bringing fierce winds and historic rainfall to areas that have not seen tropical storm conditions in more than 80 years.
Hilary, which was downgraded from a hurricane on Sunday, made landfall over the northern Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Unfortunately, one person died of drowning in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia amid the storm. While Mexico’s hurricane watch has ended, the Baja California coast is still under threat of flash floods.
As of 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, the storm was about 215 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.
Hilary is expected to remain a tropical storm before it reaches Southern California, with wind speeds between 39 to 73 miles per hour. Forecasters warn that the heavy rain associated with the system will pose a serious threat of “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” to the region. Portions of Southern California and southern Nevada are expected to receive between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, with some areas potentially receiving up to 10 inches. This amount of rain in just a few hours could exceed the average annual rainfall in certain locations. Strong and gusty winds are also expected on elevated terrain.
The heaviest rainfall is expected to pour overnight, lasting in Southern California until early Monday morning. Areas in eastern San Diego, northern Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Death Valley have the greatest risk for flash flooding, according to Michael Brennan, the director of the National Hurricane Center.
Brennan emphasized the danger of nighttime flooding conditions, as washed-out roads are more difficult to see. Major highways like I-10, I-8, and I-40 are expected to be impacted by the intense downpour. In addition, there is a risk of tornadoes in parts of the Mojave Desert, Lower Colorado River Valley, and southeastern California.
This storm is the first of its strength to hit Southern California since 1939. Given the region’s susceptibility to disasters like wildfires and earthquakes, much of Southern California is under its first-ever tropical storm warning. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for several counties, including Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Tulare, Orange, and Ventura. Some communities, such as 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 to respond to flood threats. State officials have urged residents to sign up for flood and evacuation alerts from their counties and to prepare their pets and families for possible evacuation.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for further updates.
NPR’s Julia Simon contributed reporting.
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Original Story at www.wyomingpublicmedia.org – 2023-08-20 16:09:00
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