As the powerful storm Hilary rushed to the southwestern part of the United States entering from Mexico, heavy rains lashed California Sunday causing panic among people after authorities launched evacuation efforts to save lives amid a life-threatening flood warning.
Mexican authorities reported that at least one person was dead after flood water swept roads. Images on social media showed raging torrents gushing down city streets that have been turned into rivers.
Officials warned residents to stay indoors and keep emergency supplies in hand. Airport operations in San Diego and Los Angeles were forced to halt with sporting events in the area cancelled.
About 250 flights set for Sunday at the San Diego International Airport have been called off and another 382 Monday, according to the FlightAware website.
Storm Hilary, which made landfall earlier in the day in the northern part of the Baja California peninsula, has been weakening over the last 48 hours.
Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) was quoted in Reuters report that it is still set to be the wettest storm ever to hit the US Southwest.
“This is a dangerous storm,” said Taylor, who works for NWS’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. “It’s not just the rain totals but the intensity.”
Hilary is set to dump vast amounts of water on many parts of the US Southwest that are more accustomed to dry conditions.
Areas such as Palm Springs, California, which typically gets around 4.6 inches of rain in an entire year, could receive 6-10 inches from this one storm.
California’s Death Valley area, which receives only about 2.2 inches of rain per year, could receive 3-4 inches from this event.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory: “Hilary was carrying top sustained winds of 60 mph (96 kph) and its center was forecast to barrel over the northern portion of the peninsula and then move across Southern California on Sunday afternoon.”
Storm surges — when the ocean is pushed inland — could produce coastal flooding in parts of Baja California and the storm was carrying heavy rain that could cause catastrophic flooding in some areas, it added.
“Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches [7.6 to 15 cm], with isolated amounts of 10 inches, was expected across the northern Baja California peninsula as well as portions of Southern California and Southern Nevada,” it added.
As of 5pm EDT, Hilary was about 115 miles (185 km) south-southeast of San Diego, California, the Miami-based agency said. It was moving north-northwest at 23 mph (37 kph).
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents across the second-most populous US city to stay home as the storm passes.
“Avoid unnecessary travel. If you don’t need to be on the road, please do not get in your car,” she said at a press conference Sunday.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said the city has staffed additional fire engines and several swift-water teams in case flood rescues are needed.
Urban search and rescue teams have also been deployed throughout the city along with helicopter teams to assist in rescues from the air.
Local officials in Arizona issued evacuation orders for parts of the Lake Mead National Park due to flooding risks, with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office posting on Facebook to urge residents to “evacuate to higher elevations”.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also declared a local emergency Sunday as heavy rains buffeted his city.
“I ask San Diegans to stay home and stay safe,” Gloria said on X, the social media platform.
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