Photograph by apithana for Adobe Stock
Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall on the northern part of Mexico's Baja Peninsula on Sunday morning, after being downgraded from a hurricane, and caused major flooding as it moved into Southern California and Nevada.
While all coastal warnings have been discontinued, according to the National Hurricane Center, more life-threatening and catastrophic flooding is expected as the storm — now a post-tropical cyclone — moves over portions of the Southwest states.
The National Weather Service says moisture associated with Hilary will continue streaming northward through the Intermountain West today, and areas of lingering showers and thunderstorms might lead to additional flash flooding across the high terrain of the Sierras and throughout much of Nevada. Farther north, widespread moderate to locally heavy rain also could cause flooding throughout the northern Great Basin. Excessive rainfall also might hit a broad region extending from northwest Montana to southern Nevada and north-central Arizona. Residents in the higher terrain of the Intermountain West should watch for wind gusts up to 70 mph, from the Southwest desert to southern Idaho, according to the NWS.
More than 1,000 flights were canceled at area airports through this morning, according to Accuweather, but currently there are no significant delays at San Diego and Los Angeles area airports in California, or Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, says FlightAware. Still, travelers are advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport to fly into or out of area facilities.
Hardest-hit destination
Greater Palm Springs, Calif., was hammered by the storm Sunday night, receiving over 3 inches of rain — more than the area usually sees in a year — that turned the terrain into a sea of mud, caused power outages and cut 911 lines, according to news reports. Police asked residents to text 911 or reach out to their local police or fire stations directly. The city manager declared a local emergency following the unprecedented rainfall and flooding, and at least one swift-water rescue.
Preemptively, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for much of Southern California on Saturday to support Hurricane Hilary response and recovery efforts. San Diego's city offices were closed yesterday and today, and road closures in the area are listed here. An interactive map of emergency incidents in Los Angeles can be found here.
To add insult to injury, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Ojai just north of L.A. on Sunday; no deaths or damage was reported from the event.