Tropical Storm Hilary’s center arrived in Southern California on Sunday afternoon, bringing strong winds and the potential for record-breaking rainfall to areas that haven’t experienced tropical storm conditions in over eight decades.
As of 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, the storm was positioned 25 miles south-southwest of Palm Springs, moving at a speed of 23 miles per hour and featuring sustained winds of 50 mph. The National Weather Service predicts that the storm will traverse Southern California and progress north into Nevada by Monday morning.
Reports from LAist indicate that certain roads in Southern California are flooded, prompting water rescues. Additionally, parts of Los Angeles County have already witnessed rainfall exceeding 4 inches over the course of two days by Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of the uncommon tropical storm, Clark County in Nevada, home to Las Vegas, proclaimed a state of emergency on Sunday. Concurrently, portions of Southern California have been in a state of emergency since Saturday night.
Anticipated precipitation for portions of Southern California and southern Nevada ranges from 3 to 6 inches, with a possibility of up to 10 inches. Some areas might accumulate more rainfall within hours than they typically receive in an entire year, as indicated by meteorologists. Elevated terrains will experience notably robust and gusty winds.
On Sunday, Hilary was reclassified from a hurricane and made landfall in Mexico’s northern Baja California peninsula. In the midst of the storm, a drowning fatality was reported in Santa Rosalia, Mexico. While Mexico’s hurricane watch has concluded, the Baja California coast remains susceptible to flash floods.
Anticipate the most intense rainfall to occur during the overnight hours
This heavy downpour is projected to persist in Southern California until the early hours of Monday.
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Michael Brennan, the director of the National Hurricane Center, highlights that regions including eastern San Diego, northern Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Death Valley face the highest probability of experiencing flash floods.
Brennan warned that flooding conditions like washed out roads are more difficult to see at night. That will be especially dangerous on major highways like I-10, I-8 and I-40, which are expected to be impacted by the intense downpour.
A majority of Nevada and parts of southwestern Utah and western Arizona will also be at risk of flooding, Brennan said. There is also a risk of tornadoes in parts of the Mojave Desert, Lower Colorado River Valley and southeastern California.
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