Cars were trapped and parts of the road washed away in Palm Springs as Tropical Storm Hilary swept through, triggering mass flooding and mudslides.
“Life-threatening and locally catastrophic flash flooding is expected this evening across southern California as Tropical Storm Hilary advances north and brings and produces very heavy rainfall total,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned Sunday night, previewing heavy rains and flash flooding.
Life-threatening and locally catastrophic flash flooding is expected this evening across southern California as Tropical Storm Hilary advances north and brings and produces very heavy rainfall total. Heavy rains and flash flooding concerns will be increasing over southern Nevada. https://t.co/yqmxvXXQPQ
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 21, 2023
The storm, which made landfall on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula on Sunday, was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone but resulted in mass power outages and flooding across Southern California. Over 45,500 customers were without power across the state as of 1 p.m. Eastern, per Poweroutage.us. Over 10,000 of those outages are in Los Angeles County.
“The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary dropped more than half an average year’s worth of rain on some areas, including Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3.18 inches (8 centimeters) of rain by Sunday evening,” Breitbart News reported.
Indeed, some of the most shocking post-storm images are coming from Palm County, which experienced severe flooding.
“That’s our biggest concern, is once this rain starts to come down off the mountain will we continuously have some flooding on our streets,” Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner told the Weather Channel on Sunday evening.
The Weather Channel added that Palm Springs, which averages 4.61 inches of rain per year, reached 2.27 inches of rain over a six-hour period. The Daily Mail is reporting that Palm Springs is actually “cut off,” with people trapped in their homes and unable to call 911.
Palm Springs is totally cut off and 911 is down as Storm Hilary soaks from coast to desert https://t.co/nPNumr90Yr pic.twitter.com/Cwm9jrEcnB
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) August 21, 2023
Palm Springs and others parts of Southern California faced the threat of flash flooding along with landslides and mudslides today after storm Hilary unleashed record-breaking downpours overnight.
This is a massive debris flow in Palm Springspic.twitter.com/W2SAvzBBXu
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 21, 2023
Palm Springs received more than half a year’s worth of rain in a matter of hours, as tropical storm Hilary drenches Southern California, prompting widespread flash floods, 911 line outages and dangerous rescues. https://t.co/E3rhTYYcsJ pic.twitter.com/ZJHzNBSWFm
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) August 21, 2023
Palm Springs is completely flooded by Hurricane Hillary. pic.twitter.com/puC2lR8b93
— David Wolfe (@DavidWolfe) August 21, 2023
FLOODING NEAR PALM SPRINGS: This video was taken in Cathedral City where the entrance to a gated community was covered in flood waters as #TropicalStormHilary continues to move across #SoCal. https://t.co/D1IhBlYGn1 pic.twitter.com/VLRz93UtdS
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 21, 2023
Hilary, a former Category 4 hurricane that weakened to a tropical storm before sending flooding to California on Sunday, caused roads to close and a local emergency declaration in Palm Springs. The storm has since weakened to a subtropical cyclone. https://t.co/OTlmLw4ZuZ pic.twitter.com/hQE6Nq0HCg
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 21, 2023
Unreal #flashflood in the California desert! #tropicalstormhilary #CAwx #RanchoMirage #PalmSprings @WeatherRadar_US pic.twitter.com/AOjn3oRVdT
— Jonathan Petramala (@jpetramala) August 21, 2023
Cathedral City, California Fire Chief Michael Contreras told CNN that some residents remained “trapped” in their homes due to flooding, debris flow, and mud, as well.
“Now, we are going to go house-to-house and making sure that the people who want to get out can get out … Right now, they are trapped for all intents and purposes,” he revealed.
