Tropical Storm Hilary Unleashes Unprecedented Rainfall and Flooding in California – Tropical Storm Hilary made its way from Mexico to California on the same Sunday. The storm brought heavy rainfall, causing roads to turn into swiftly flowing streams of water. Officials are sounding the alarm about the potential dangers of flooding.
San Diego’s Mayor, Todd Gloria, expressed his concern about the unusual amount of rain, especially during the summer season when they’re not accustomed to such downpours. He’s worried that the combination of strong winds and heavy rain might lead to power outages and flooding. He mentioned that the city isn’t really equipped to handle this much rainfall.
Tropical Storm Hilary made its way from Mexico to California on the same Sunday. The storm brought heavy rainfall, causing roads to turn into swiftly flowing streams of water. Officials are sounding the alarm about the potential dangers of flooding.
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San Diego’s Mayor, Todd Gloria, expressed his concern about the unusual amount of rain, especially during the summer season when they’re not accustomed to such downpours. He’s worried that the combination of strong winds and heavy rain might lead to power outages and flooding. He mentioned that the city isn’t really equipped to handle this much rainfall.
Authorities in southern California are strongly advising people to avoid driving due to the risk of mudslides and worsening road conditions. They’re also worried about debris flows and other hazards that might come with the heavy rainfall. Some communities are even declaring emergencies because of the storm. A California official thinks that Hilary could go down in history as one of the most destructive storms the state has seen in a while.
According to the experts at the National Weather Service, parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties are already facing serious flooding. They’ve gone as far as saying that the flooding could be a threat to people’s lives. People have found themselves stuck in their cars due to the floodwaters, and emergency responders are working hard to rescue them.
Even though the center of Hilary entered Southern California on Sunday night, the state started feeling the storm’s effects earlier in the day. A significant amount of rain fell. For instance, in Palm Springs, they got over 2 inches of rain in just 6 hours on Sunday. To put that in perspective, it’s almost half of what they usually get in an entire year. Throughout the day, areas like downtown Los Angeles, Burbank, and Palmdale received much more rain than usual.
In Palm Springs, the city manager declared a local emergency because of the overwhelming rainfall and resulting flooding. By Sunday afternoon, there had already been a situation where people needed to be rescued from fast-moving water.