California was pounded by heavy rains on Sunday, as Tropical Storm Hilary swept in from Mexico. The storm brought warnings of potential life-threatening floods in the usually arid southwest United States.
Nature struck again, this time with a 5.1-magnitude earthquake near Ojai in southern California. However, there were no reports of immediate damage or injuries.
US National Hurricane Center reported that Hilary, a tropical storm, had reached California on Sunday afternoon with sustained maximum winds of 60 miles per hour after sweeping up Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. The storm was moving with a brisk pace, 23 mph (37 km/h).
The report warned of “catastrophic, life-threatening flooding” in parts of the Southwest US and Baja California through Monday.
Karen Bass, the Los Angeles mayor, warned that this weather event was unprecedented.
People rushed into stores to stock up water and other essentials. Some areas were warned of flash flooding and even tornadoes.
Hilary earlier reached Category 4 – the second-most powerful on the five-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale – but was downgraded to a tropical storm as it headed towards the densely populated Mexican border city of Tijuana.
Deanne Criswell of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, urged people to be aware of the dangers despite the weakness.
“Hurricane Hilary’s impact will be serious and a threat to southern California,” said she on CNN.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared an emergency in a large part of the southern region of the state.
He wrote “Stay Safe, California” on social media when Hilary was approaching.
Newsom’s office reported that the authorities had opened five shelters for storms and sent out more than 7,500 people, including National Guard troops as well as rapidwater rescue teams.
San Diego residents filled sandbags in preparation for flooding. Lifeguards cautioned people not to go into the water.
‘Very very dangerous’
Mexico’s Civil Protection agency reported that one person was killed in Mexico when a vehicle swept by a swollen stream. The agency also warned of landslides in Baja California and road closures.
The Mexican army opened 35 shelters for the 1,725 affected people.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Hilary could bring up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain to parts of California and Nevada. This would “lead to dangerous or catastrophic flooding,” the NHC warned.
It said that heavy rains and flash flooding could also be expected in some areas of Oregon and Idaho.
The report said that there was a possibility of tornadoes in southwest Utah, far southwest Utah, and southeast California.
Nancy Ward, Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said Hilary may be the worst storm to hit California in over a decade.
She told reporters at a Saturday press conference: “Make no mistakes.” “This is an extremely dangerous and significant storm.”
Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the US Region have rescheduled Sunday’s games.
The Mexican government sent almost 19,000 troops to the areas most affected by this storm. Meanwhile, the federal electric utility dispatched 800 workers with hundreds of vehicles in order to address any power outages.
Mexico is hit by hurricanes on its Pacific and Atlantic Coasts each year. California is not often affected by storms of this intensity, although they do occasionally affect the state.
Scientists have warned of the increasing power of storms as the planet gets warmer. Climate Change.
Criswell, FEMA’s administrator, said to CNN on Sunday: “We also have to look at the impact of climate change on these severe weather events.” What is the future risk?
