The United States National Weather Service (NWS) on Monday warned of the possibility of “catastrophic flooding” in Southern California due to Storm Hilary, whose remnant is moving further north with a risk of rain and landslides.
“Hilary is projected to produce what may be historic levels of rainfall that can cause catastrophic flash flooding, including landslides, mudslides, and debris flows,” the agency said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for large parts of the southern part of the state, which will remain in effect until this morning. About 25 million people live in the region.
Hilary, a Category 4 hurricane making landfall in Baja California, Mexico, on Sunday, has weakened into a post-tropical cyclone.
The NWS forecasts that Hilary-associated moisture will continue to move north through the intermountain region in the western part of the country.
In the mountains of San Diego County, winds reached speeds of up to 135 kilometers per hour, and precipitation reached 76 millimeters in places.
The Weather Channel reported that in Palm Springs, rainfall topped 2.2 inches in just six hours, which is nearly 50% of the location’s full year’s rainfall.
The location with the highest rainfall recorded to date was Raywood Flats at 268 millimeters.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school system in the United States, reported that all campuses will remain closed Monday. Other educational districts in the region followed suit.
Hilary’s arrival in the region coincided with a 5.1-magnitude earthquake on Sunday. The US Geological Survey reported that the quake struck near Ojal in Ventura County and was followed by a series of tremors, including one with a magnitude of 3.6.
There were no reports of serious damage from the quake, which was felt in areas of Los Angeles, including Hollywood and Long Beach.
