Hillary has weakened to Post-tropical cyclone Still threatening deadly floods and powerful storms across parts of the west, it turned streets into raging rivers, forced some residents to flee and left others needing rescue.
After hitting Southern California on Sunday as a tropical storm – the state Firstly Since 1997 – Hillary headed for Nevada as the state’s first recorded tropical storm and was moving over central parts of the state early Monday, about 390 miles north of San Diego, packing sustained winds of 35 mph with higher gusts , National Hurricane Center He said.
Live updates: Hillary brings major flood risk to California
The storm broke rainfall records across Southern California: Palm Springs got nearly a year of rain at an average of 4.3 inches in 24 hours, one of the wettest days on record. Death Valley nearly caught a record 1.68 inch, and Furnace Creek, which usually reaches a tenth of an inch in August, got 0.63 inch.
More rainfall is expected to cause dangerous flooding, urban flooding and arroyo flooding in some places, including landslides, mudslides and debris flows. Local flooding is expected through Tuesday morning across northern portions of Intermountain West.
In Palm Springs, roads are already closed, and 911 lines have been down since about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Mayor Grace Garner said Monday on “CNN This Morning.” Residents should text 911 in case of an emergency.
“There is no way in or out of Palm Springs,” Garner said.
“We’re not used to that level of precipitation, in general — certainly not in the middle of summer,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told CNN on Sunday.
“What we expect may confuse us.”
Here are the latest:
• Flood watch hours are in effect for more than 16 million people from Southern California to Northern Idaho. The National Weather Service said places that don’t normally see flash floods “will get flooded”. “Life and property are in grave danger until Monday.”
• Strong and gusty winds are expected to continue on Monday across parts of the western United States, especially in the highlands and nearby areas. Coastal tropical storm warnings have been discontinued.
• More than 48,000 customers without power across California, PowerOutage.us reports. About 18,000 customers remain without power in Los Angeles, and 43 city crews are working to restore power to them, Marty Adams, general manager and chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said Monday. He said a total of about 41,000 customers were without power at some point, and the city has restored power to about 22,000 customers.
• The National Weather Service has warned that people in parts of Southern California should not travel unless they flee an area under flooding or under an evacuation order.
• Flooding, mudslides and fallen trees and wires have been reported extensively throughout Southern California. At least nine people were rescued Sunday in the San Diego River downstream, San Diego Fire-Rescue reported, and rescues were also reported in the waters of Ventura County and Palm Springs.
• In Mexico, where the storm first made landfall, power has been restored to 80% of customers in the three states affected by Hillary, according to the National Electric Power Company. “379,850 users have been affected, and electricity supply has returned to 302,134, which is equivalent to 80%,” the Federal Electricity Commission said in a statement on Monday.
To the west, Los Angeles and Ventura counties saw “significant damage” Sunday night amid reports of life-threatening flash flooding and rockslides, the National Weather Service said, adding that up to half an inch of rain was falling per hour.
The National Weather Service reported that cars were stuck in flood waters in the Spanish Hills region.
At around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, firefighters responded to a flooded intersection in Sun Valley that left five vehicles stranded, Los Angeles Fire Chief Christine Crowley said Monday. She added that firefighters rescued a person from their car, and no one was injured.
Crowley urged residents to take precautions on the roads.
“A relatively small amount of water can wash a car away,” she said.
And while Hillary issued flood warnings across Los Angeles, A.J 5.1 magnitude earthquake The US Geological Survey said Sunday afternoon it shook the region and other parts of Southern California.
The first day of school is a wash for some of the students
The first day of school was postponed each day for more than 121,000 students in the San Diego Unified School District, when officials canceled classes on Monday, with plans to reopen on Tuesday.
the Los Angeles Unified School DistrictInc., the nation’s second-largest, closed Monday. The area spans about 700 square miles, which means the impact of the storm varied for its students.
Schools in the Los Angeles area will reopen on Tuesday, according to Principal Alberto Carvalho.
“Our teams have been touring our schools, and so far, conditions are very good,” Carvalho said. Dozens of schools lost telephone and internet services, and one school was affected by a minor mudslide.
“It was reckless for us to make a different decision,” Carvalho said of Monday’s decision to close the schools.
Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian said, “L.A. has been tested but we’ve been through it and minimal impacts, considering what we’ve endured.”
The Nye County School District in Nevada also canceled classes on Monday, with plans to reopen on Tuesday.
Cars were stranded on muddy and watery roads
Once a hurricane, Hillary weakened as she made landfall Sunday in Mexico – Where at least one person died – Then I crossed over to the Golden State. The center of the storm was about 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles around 8 p.m. local time Sunday, moving north with weak sustained winds of 45 mph, according to the Hurricane center.
The Los Angeles Fire Department answered more than 4,000 emergency calls Sunday and responded to nearly 1,800 incidents, Los Angeles County Sheriff Christine Crowley said at a news conference Monday. The calls included a call for help for five cars stuck in a flooded intersection in Sun Valley. One person was safely rescued in the Sun Valley accident, Crowley said.
Floodwaters affected an underground electrical vault, knocking out about 6,000 customers in the Beverly Grove area, with other outages reported in Hollywood, Hyde Park and Brentwood. According to Los Angeles officials, the vast majority of the city’s energy customers are not affected by the storm.
As the storm approached, covering roads in debris and water, roads across Southern California were closed by Sunday night. A section of Interstate 8 in Imperial County, east of San Diego, was closed Sunday after boulders from a nearby slope broke off and fell into the road.
In San Bernardino County, a section of State Route 127 covered in flood waters was closed, while a section of Interstate 15 in Barstow was closed because power lines were knocked out after a lightning strike, authorities said.
Residents of the Serrano Square neighborhood in Yucaipa, San Bernardino County, were ordered to evacuate Sunday night, while residents of the Forest Falls community and on Oak Glen Road were told to take cover as mud and debris blocked a nearby road.
Crews across the region Sunday night rescued people caught in the storm, including at least nine in the downstream area of San Diego. “Crews are still looking for more people who may need help. #riverrescue,” said San Diego Fire-Rescue.
Videos showed Ventura County firefighters searched the Santa Clara River for people trapped in the water Sunday night.
The storm led to other unrest across Southern California, with many parks, beaches and other locations closed as officials called on residents to stay home.
And Hillary continues to cause damage as she moves to Nevada. In Mount Charleston, Nevada, the storm caused significant flooding Monday morning, washing away roads. Residents are sheltering in place, the power is out, and the Nevada National Guard is on its way to help. According to a Facebook post from Clark County.
West of Las Vegas, rushing waters like a river flow down Echo Road, leaving vehicles stranded from Mary Jane Trailheads and Trail Canyon, According to the US Forest Service. The service said emergency crews were assessing and asking people to stay out of the area.
Record rainfall in Southern California
CALIFORNIA WAS PREPARING FOR TOUGH CONDITIONS First responders across Southern California were positioned to prepare for water rescues in flood-prone areas such as fire scars and deserts amid fears that areas unaccustomed to rain could suddenly get a year’s worth or more, leading to Floods and landslides. .
Precipitation totals were significant:
Daily and monthly Sunday’s rainfall records were broken, With a precipitation of 1.53 inches in downtown Los Angeles, 1.56 inches in Long Beach and 2.95 inches in Palmdale, according to the weather service.
At least three quick water rescues have taken place so far in Palm Springs, First Lt. Gustavo Arraisa told CNN.
Santa Clarita, located about 30 miles north of Los Angeles, had steady rain for about 10 hours, with more than four inches of rain falling in the valley. Portions of Sand Canyon Road can be seen dropping into the rushing water.
By late Sunday, the weather service sent out a mass alert to cellphone users in parts of the county saying, “Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing a flood-prone area or under an evacuation order.”
Mike McClintock, chief of the San Bernardino Fire Brigade, said the evacuation orders are intended to help residents escape areas that could face dangerous flooding, and the warnings should be heeded immediately.
“If we ask you to evacuate, we don’t take it lightly,” McClintock said in an interview with CNN. “We’re asking you based on expectations and concerns, and we want you out sooner rather than later.”
CNN meteorologists Jane Norman and Monica Jarrett, CNN’s Lauren Mascarenas, Sherry Mossberg, Jamil Lynch, Eric Zirkel and Sarah Moon contributed to this report.
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