Palm Springs has been totally cut off with some people trapped in their homes and 911 completely down in the area after Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California.
Residents of Cathedral City, immediately south of Palm Springs, experienced a ‘debris flow’ with significant amounts of mud and sand trapping them in their homes.
Firefighters will be going ‘house-to-house’ to make sure that people who want to get out can leave, fire chief Michael Contreras told CNN.
‘Right now, they are trapped for all intents and purposes. If you don’t need to get out, give us time to clear the streets before attempting to leave,’ he said.
Now there are fears that Burning Man could be washed out as the deserts of Nevada are pounded by the storm. Hilary crossed into Nevada at 5am ET Monday and the storm will cross into Idaho and Montana in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Lee Canyon ski resort north of Las Vegas is being evacuated by the National Guard as roads surrounding the mountain are washed out entirely.
Southern California was battered on Sunday and into the early hours of Monday morning with the city of Palm Springs receiving more than half a year’s worth of rain in just a few hours. Residents have been warned that 911 lines are down and the mayor admitted, ‘There’s no way in or out.’
Around 100 miles west, footage showed Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles surrounded by a moat of rainwater.
NHP just said they plan on evacuating Lee Canyon… pic.twitter.com/xh1WpVmV0k— Mt Charleston Mountain Man (@mountainman_mc) August 21, 2023
- In Palm Springs and Cathedral City, authorities are going door-to-door to see if people who are stuck in their homes need assistance
- Despite massive flooding in LA and surrounding areas, no storm-related deaths have yet been reported
- Floods are now impacting roads in Nevada, where the storm landed early this morning. Flooding has hit roads and is potentially jeopardizing Burning Man
Schools across SoCal and Nevada were shuttered on Monday and 800 flights were cancelled. Travelers are warned of travel disruption at San Diego International Airport, Nevada’s Harry Reid and Phoenix’s Sky Harbor.
Hilary is expected to clear out later on Monday and into Tuesday, though moisture from the storm in some parts is expected to linger into Wednesday and Thursday.
‘Today, I am declaring a state of emergency due to the imminent impact of Hurricane Hilary across the state,’ Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo said over the weekend.
‘My administration will continue to work diligently with state, federal, tribal, and local partners in preparation and response to this severe weather event.’
‘Hurricane Hilary represents a serious threat to our communities, and once again, I implore all Nevadans to prepare for flooding, remain vigilant, and to follow all guidance from state and local emergency officials.’
Lombardo additionally deployed 100 national guardsmen to southern Nevada last Friday, in preparation for the storm.
Images Monday morning coming out of Black Rock City, Nevada show flooding that has moved up the California coast and into the neighboring state.
Many airlines waived change fees for flights scheduled through Monday to or from Los Cabos and a handful of Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona airports.
The storm has, at this point, been downgraded to a post-tropical storm, though experts continue to warn that Hilary is carrying heavy rains and high winds.
Panicking Californians were trapped in cars and climbed trees in bid to escape dangerous floodwaters and mudslides as Tropical Storm Hilary battered the state bringing down bridges and powerlines and leaving vehicles stranded on flooded roads.
The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years brought havoc across the state, leaving 25million people under flood warnings with significant fears of devastating destruction.
Mountain and desert areas predicted to get 5 to 10 inches of rain today, as much as the deserts typically see in a year, while yesterday Ventura county saw two inches of rain fall within two hours…Source – Read More!
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