Tropical Storm Hilary reaches California

California experienced heavy rainfall on Sunday as the tropical storm Hilary, originating from Mexico, made its way, raising concerns about potentially life-threatening floods in generally dry regions of the southwestern United States.

The situation was compounded by a 5.1-magnitude earthquake striking near the city of Ujiji in southern California, though no reports of damage or injuries have been received.

Sunday afternoon saw the eye of the storm in California, accompanied by winds reaching up to 95 km/h, after making landfall on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm was moving at a speed of 37 km/h.

By Sunday evening, the Hurricane Center issued warnings of "potentially unprecedented" rainfall that could result in "catastrophic flooding locally, in urban areas, and in valleys" across parts of the state until early Monday.

Video footage from a local network depicted severe flooding in parts of Palm Springs near Los Angeles, and the National Parks Service announced the closure of the Death Valley National Park due to "dangerous flood conditions."

Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, referred to the storm as an "unprecedented weather event."

Beach closures were ordered, and citizens rushed to stockpile water and essential supplies. Warnings were also issued of possible sudden floods and even tornadoes in certain areas.

While Hurricane Hilary reached Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which comprises five escalating levels of intensity, it was downgraded to a tropical storm as it headed toward the densely populated border city of Tijuana, Mexico.

Despite the weakening of the hurricane, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official Dean Criswell urged residents to take risks seriously.

She stated on CNN, "Hurricane Hilary will have significant impacts and poses a great danger to southern California."

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in extensive areas of the southern state.

Authorities opened five storm shelters and deployed over 7,500 personnel, including hundreds from the National Guard and water rescue teams, as per Newsom's office.

In San Diego, residents filled sandbags to guard against potential flooding, while beachgoers were urged by lifeguards to stay away from the ocean.

In Mexico, a person lost their life as their car was swept away by river waters, according to the Civil Protection Agency, which warned of floods and road closures in Baja California.

The Mexican military established 35 shelters to assist 1,725 individuals affected by the storm.

Heavy rains are anticipated in parts of Oregon and Idaho, with the possibility of severe flooding, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

They also cautioned about the possibility of tornadoes in southeastern California, western Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah.

Nancy Ward, Director of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, stated that Hilary might be one of the worst storms to hit the state in over a decade.

In a press conference on Saturday, she warned that "this is a very dangerous storm."

Scheduled sporting events in the American side were cancelled.

The Mexican government deployed approximately 19,000 soldiers to the worst-hit states by the storm, while the electricity service dispatched 800 workers and hundreds of vehicles to respond to any disruptions.



AFP