Canceled flights, closed parks: How Tropical Storm Hilary is impacting California travel

Eve Chen, USA TODAY
Updated ·6 min read
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Several parts of Southern California were under a flash flood warning Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary churned north after making landfall in Mexico's Baja California.

"Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order," read an emergency alert sent to cellphones in the Los Angeles area shortly before noon PT.

Portions of Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties remained under warnings into the evening.

But the storm started creating a mess for travelers much earlier in the day with flight cancellations and delays at airports across the state, particularly by Southwest.

“Check with your airline for updates on any delays or cancellations because of the storm before you come to BUR,” Hollywood Burbank Airport warned on its website. “Make sure you allow extra time to get in and out of the airport.”

And roads and flights aren't the only things impacted. Some Southern California destinations preemptively closed Sunday ahead of the storm.

Here’s what travelers should know.

'Dangerous to catastrophic': Live updates on Tropical Storm Hilary

Waves crash against a pier in Imperial Beach, California, as Tropical Storm Hilary approaches on Aug. 20, 2023.
Waves crash against a pier in Imperial Beach, California, as Tropical Storm Hilary approaches on Aug. 20, 2023.

Southwest flight cancellations for Tropical Storm Hilary

Southwest has canceled more than 700 flights scheduled for Sunday and nearly 190 flights set for Monday, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight status in real time.

"As California’s largest carrier, we’ve made proactive adjustments to our flight schedule throughout the weekend and have communicated with affected customers, sharing details of our travel advisory that allows additional flexibility to self-serve rebooking on Southwest.com," the airline told USA TODAY in a statement. "We will continue to share updates as the storm progresses and we stand ready to assist and accommodate them during and following the storm."

The travel waiver applies to customers with flights scheduled into, out of or through the following destinations on Sunday or Monday:

  • Burbank (BUR)

  • Las Vegas (LAS)

  • Long Beach (LGB)

  • Los Angeles (LAX)

  • Ontario, California (ONT)

  • Orange County (SNA)

  • Palm Springs (PSP)

  • San Diego (SAN)

  • Santa Barbara (SBA)

Customers may rebook or fly standby between their originally booked cities within 14 days of their original travel dates, without paying extra charges.

Additionally, Southwest customers with Sunday or Monday flights booked into, out of or through any Los Angeles-area airports may also switch to another airport in the area without paying any fees. The eligible airports are Burbank, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Ontario, Orange County and Santa Barbara.

Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines are seeing fewer cancellations but also offering travel waivers related to Tropical Storm Hilary.

Airline waivers: What airlines are offering around Hilary

This Aug. 20, 2023 11:20 a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Hilary, off Mexico’s Pacific coast.
This Aug. 20, 2023 11:20 a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Hilary, off Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Flight cancellations by airport

Many of California's airports are seeing upward of a fifth of their Sunday flights canceled. These are the cancellations as of 6 p.m. PT Sunday, per FlightAware.

Additionally, more than 20% of flights in out and out Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and 11% of flights in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) are canceled for Sunday.

What will happen if your flight is canceled?

Generally airlines will rebook travelers on the next available flight for no fee.

Travelers who choose not to rebook are entitled to a full refund, according to Department of Transportation rules. That’s true even for flights that would otherwise be considered nonrefundable.

Flight canceled or delayed? What you're owed may be less than you think

Which parks are open, closed?

Southern California parks and theme parks are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Hilary and stressing the safety of guests and employees.

  • Channel Islands National Park has closed its campground through Monday as the park braces for heavy rain, rough seas and possible flash flooding, according to the park's website.

  • Death Valley National Park is partially closed amid a flood watch. Water was already flowing across park roads Sunday morning, according to the park’s website. “It will get worse, and roads will be impassible,” the park warned, adding that power, communications and potable water were also likely to go. “Emergency services probably won’t be able to respond.”

  • Disneyland is planning to close early on Sunday. Disney California Adventure will close at 9 p.m. PT, Disneyland Park will close at 10 p.m. PT, and Downtown Disney District will close at 11 p.m. PT, according to the resort’s website. Disneyland’s hotels will remain open for guests staying there.

  • Knott’s Berry Farm, Knott’s Soak City and California Marketplace are closed Sunday. Knott’s Soak City tickets dated for Sunday can be used on any operating day until Oct. 1, according to Knott’s website. Knott’s Berry Farm tickets dates for Sunday may be used until Dec. 31.

  • Joshua Tree National Park will remain closed until 5 p.m. PT Monday, according to the park's website, which warns of potential flash flooding from Hilary.

  • LEGOLAND California are closed Sunday, but its hotels will remain open for guests staying there, according to the resort’s website. Dated park tickets can be rescheduled through the resort’s reservation portal.

  • San Diego Zoo is closed Sunday, according to the zoo's website. The zoo notes that wildlife care specialists and other essential teams will remain on premises.

  • SeaWorld San Diego and Sesame Place San Diego are closed Sunday but expect to reopen Monday, according to the SeaWorld San Diego’s website. Guests who had tickets for Sunday may reschedule their visits or request a refund.

  • Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are warning of heavy rainfall and discouraging visitors from traveling through the parks during the storm.

  • Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor are closed Sunday, the park posted on X, formerly Twitter. Additional updates will be shared there and on the park’s website.

  • Universal Studios Hollywood remained open Sunday, but encouraged guests to check the website or call 800-864-8377 for updates before heading to the park.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Hilary prompts flight cancellations, park closures