Hilary live updates: I-10 reopens, Cathedral City firefighters rescue 14 trapped seniors
Hilary finally hit the desert as a tropical storm on Sunday, and the effects were fierce with widespread flooding across the Coachella Valley that closed businesses, roads, schools and brought normal desert life to a screeching halt. On Monday, the unprecedented tropical storm warning was lifted, and clean-up efforts are underway as officials assess the damage.
Check back here for updates on this developing situation.
Road closures: A list of roads, by city, that remain closed after Hilary
Closures: School districts, libraries and more closed Monday due to storm damage, road closures
Recreation: Popular Southern California parks, including Joshua Tree, to reopen this week
How wet was it? Hilary's impact, by the numbers
Previous updates: What happened on Saturday and what happened Sunday
PSUSD schools to stay closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Palm Springs Unified School District will remain closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to ongoing flooding issues on several major roadways, the district announced late Monday.
The district, with roughly 21,700 students enrolled from Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Sky Valley, and Thousand Palms, began its academic year earlier this month, and it closed Monday in anticipation of flooding from Tropical Storm Hilary.
Meanwhile, Desert Sands Unified School District announced it would resume its classes starting Tuesday.
Coachella Valley Unified School District begins the new school year on Thursday, but asks that the public stay away from CVUSD schools in the meantime while staff assess damage. Desert Mirage High School remains a temporary shelter for those who have been displaced from their homes.
―Tom Coulter
Boil water notice issued for 200 Mission Springs customers
More than 200 customers are being advised by Mission Springs Water District and other officials to boil tap water or drink only bottled water in the wake of the weekend storm. Crews are also working to restore water service to some affected areas following damages from Tropical Storm Hilary.
The notice reads:
"Following the flooding and rain from Hurricane Hilary, the District determined that two areas of the MSWD water system experienced low water pressure. Out of an abundance of caution, MSWD, working with the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, and the Riverside County Health Department, advises residents in these areas to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking as a safety precaution. Crews are also working to restore water service to some affected areas following damages from the storm.
Area 1: 175 customers Approximate boundaries are: East Indian Canyon Dr., South 13th Avenue, North of Moonlight Drive, and West of the Casa and Bluma Drives
Area 2: 30 customers Approximate boundaries are: North Pierson, East Mission Creek, Along Scenic, West Indian Canyon
― Janet Wilson
Feeling askew? It's not just you
The entire region was knocked off kilter by Tropical Storm Hilary. So it's only appropriate for the valley's airport — or at least the sign for it — to be a bit out of sorts, too.
One of the major signs for Palm Springs International Airport, at Gene Autry Trail and Ramon Road, was slumped to one side Monday. Flooding had apparently shifted a large amount of the earth under the right side of its supports.
Fortunately, things were more centered inside the gates, where flights were taking off and arriving, mostly on time with a few delays.
—Eric Hartley
The Whitewater River crossed I-10 during storm, NWS says
So much rain fell so fast from steep mountains above the valley floor that ”the I-10 got jumped last night by the Whitewater River,” said veteran National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy.
"The Whitewater River jumped its banks, broke a berm and then that just sent a wall of mud and debris partially over the I-10 last night, going over Highway 111, and then came down here (at Indian Canyon Drive) and just completely overwhelmed this area," he said in a video he posted online after touring the area on Monday.
“This is different, this is really massive,” he said of the unusual storm, which dumped water on normally dry mountain peaks as well as wetter ones, including Mount San Gorgonio and Mount San Jacinto.
“So we got it in all directions ... with an average storm you don’t typically get that,” he said. “This magnitude, I've never seen this broad of an area of flash flooding.”
“It has also damaged and undercut the two main rail lines, so you have no trains coming in or out of the Coachella Valley.”
He said the boulders unleashed by the storm under cover of darkness were “massive ... could easily destroy your car” and that the debris flow was “easily four to six feet.”
—Janet Wilson
Cathedral City firefighters rescue 14 seniors from home care facility
Fourteen people were trapped in an elderly home care facility overnight in Cathedral City, Cathedral City Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Williams said. In the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary, a mix of flooding and mud had completely cut off every exit. Firefighters were able to get everyone out safely via a rescue dozer by Monday afternoon.
—Taya Gray
Desert Recreation District announces cancellations
The Desert Recreation District announced cancellation of all programs, classes and activities scheduled for Monday at its facilities throughout the Coachella Valley while staff assesses damages from the storm. Its community cooling centers in Mecca, Thermal and North Shore remain open.
“We understand the importance of our programs and services to the community, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by these cancellations. Our focus at this time is to swiftly evaluate and address any issues arising from the storm’s impact,” the district stated in a press release.
—Brian Blueskye
Area hospitals recovering well from the storm
Local area hospitals were able to weather Sunday’s storm and continue to treat those who needed medical help the most.
At Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, spokesperson Elizabeth Wholihan said the hospital is still assessing for any damage in its facilities, but those issues appear to be limited in scope.
Images and video posted online Sunday showed flooding outside the John W. Larson Foundation Trauma Center, with abandoned golf cart submerged in water. However, that did not cause interruptions in care.
“The flooding yesterday in the ambulance bay and water in a back hallway was resolved in just over an hour,” she said. “Patient care space was not affected and care in the Emergency Department continues without delay."
Wholihan added that some Eisenhower Health clinic locations were closed Monday, such as its urgent care center in Palm Springs, “primarily due to employees being challenged by road closures.” Eisenhower Urgent Care in Rancho Mirage is open to patients, while Eisenhower Urgent Care in La Quinta may open later in the day when more staff have arrived.
“Data and communications systems are functional, allowing Eisenhower to notify patients of any delays or cancellations of appointments,” Wholihan said. “Eisenhower Health thanks its remarkable teams for their tremendous efforts to ensure the safety of staff and patients throughout the weekend.”
Similarly, Desert Care Network hospitals, which includes Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree, are fully operational and experienced “minor issues that were quickly remediated without disrupting patient care,” spokesperson Richard Ramhoff said.
“As a result of localized flooding in some areas of the community that has made travel potentially dangerous, we have rescheduled elective cases out of precaution,” he said. “We remain open to visitors but ask everyone to follow the guidelines of emergency agencies.”
—Ema Sasic
City of Coachella declares State of Emergency
Coachella has officially declared a local state of emergency in the city as a result of extreme damage and compromised safety resulting from the effects of Tropical Storm Hilary, the city announced via press release. The proclamation will go before City Council for ratification this week.
This emergency proclamation could help make the Coachella eligible for potential federal and state assistance, including repairs to damaged areas. It also allows the city to quickly procure items necessary for emergency response and repair.
City staff is currently removing excess water from areas that have been flooded, down trees are being removed to eliminate road obstruction, and damage assessments are being made for all public parks, roadways, bridges and city facilities.
—Niki Kottmann
Cathedral City officials announce road closure updates
The following roads are still closed in Cathedral City:
•Vista Chino between Date Palm Drive and Avenida Maravilla
•Date Palm Drive between Vista Chino and 30th Ave
•Ortega Road between Moreno Road and Via De Anza
•Vista Chino at the wash (per the direction of Palm Springs)
•Los Gatos Road at Date Palm Drive
•Via De Anza at Ocotillo Road
—Niki Kottmann
Joshua Tree National Park reopening for day use only Tuesday
This past weekend, Joshua Tree National Park experienced heavy rains and flooding from Tropical Storm Hilary. Crews found large amounts of sand and debris on roadways and have begun clearing the roads. The park will re-open for day use only on Tuesday, Aug. 22. All visitor centers and paved roads will be open. All dirt roads and campgrounds will remain closed until further assessment can be done. For up-to-date information about current road conditions in the park, visit www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
—Janet Wilson
Westbound I-10 back open, portion of eastbound side still closed
California Highway Patrol reopened the closed westbound lanes of Interstate 10 at around 12:30 p.m., the agency confirmed. Between Monterey Avenue and Bob Hope Drive, two lanes are currently open. All four lanes are open west of Bob Hope Drive.
The agency also announced that it has reduced the closure of the eastbound lanes to the stretch between Date Palm Drive and Bob Hope Drive. A detour has been set for eastbound traffic that will direct it to exit at Date Palm Drive, go north on Varner Road and reenter the freeway at Monterey Avenue.
CHP said it has not determine how long the eastbound lanes will need to remain closed for.
The reopening of the westbound lanes, combined with the reopening of Highway 111, means that drivers leaving Palm Springs will again be able to access the inland empire and points to the west, which they were previously cut off from. The reopenings also mean that people in Desert Hot Springs will again be able to access Palm Springs.
—Paul Albani-Burgio
Rancho Mirage announces road closures
Rancho Mirage is the latest desert city to announce road closures Monday:
Frank Sinatra Drive, Country Club Drive and Parkview Drive are closed at the Whitewater Wash in both directions
Ramon Road is closed in both directions between Los Alamos Road and Interstate 10
Bob Hope Drive is closed in both directions from Casino Way to Interstate 10
—Paul Albani-Burgio
La Quinta residents assess damage
It was a surreal scene in La Quinta on Monday morning as residents walked their dogs around Civic Center Park or sat at the local coffee shop, enjoying a beautiful Monday morning, while fallen trees and damage from Tropical Storm Hilary were all around them.
La Quinta seemed to be hit particularly hard by the wind.
The La Quinta Village shopping center parking lot had a downed palm tree blocking the entrance, a flooded area near a bank and a snapped off tree by the Starbucks drive thru. Despite all that, it was business as usual.
Across the street from that shopping center is La Quinta City Hall, and its parking lot featured three uprooted trees.
The attached Civic Center Park was particularly unlucky. Multiple large trees were uprooted or snapped in half. Several residents on their morning walk through the park stopped to take pictures of the damage.
A short drive along Avenue 52 in front of the Tradition Golf Club, was particularly startling as it seemed like every other tree was damaged as workers with chainsaws were clearing away broken branches.
“We made it through without any damage, really, but there are so many trees down around this area,” said David Eves, who was with his wife, Sheila, and dog, Libby, sitting outside Starbucks at the La Quinta Village. The couple lives at PGA West. “They did a good job of getting the word out about the storm, so we were prepared and canceled a trip to stay home to be at our house during it, but not much happened at our place. This is definitely something unique and something you don’t expect to occur. It really spiced up our summer, I guess you could say.”
—Shad Powers
Mountain-area rainfall totals impress
The greatest storm rainfall occurred high above the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire areas, although water and mud came roaring down creeks and mountain slopes toward the desert floor. Upper Mission Creek in the San Bernardino Mountains got a whopping 14.1 inches in 48 hours, while 11.73 inches fell at Raywood Flats, and Mount San Jacinto by the Palm Springs Tramway saw 11.74 inches, according to National Weather Service San Diego meteorologist Casey Oswant.
—Janet Wilson
Avenue 44 in Indio partially destroyed
The roadway at Avenue 44 in north Indio east of Golf Center Parkway has eroded away because of rushing water through the wash, which runs just south of Interstate 10.
—Larry Bohannan
Roads begin to open up in Palm Springs
These roads are now open as of 10:45 a.m. in Palm Springs:
El Cielo Road between Ramon Road and Sonora Road
Farrell Drive between Ramon Road and Mesquite Avenue
El Cielo Road between Ramon Road and Sonora Road
Highway 111 between Windy Point and Palm Springs city limits
Outbound Highway 111 from Gateway to I-10
Golf Club at the wash
Araby Drive at the Palm Canyon Wash
—Niki Kottmann
Evacuation orders lifted in Imperial County
In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary, Imperial County authorities have lifted evacuation orders for the townships of Ocotillo, Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Bombay Beach, and Desert Shores. Residents are now permitted to return to their homes.
—Janet Wilson
State and national park visitor centers closed across the region
Teams at the area's sweeping national and state recreation areas were assessing damage Monday morning. Joshua Tree National Park remains closed for now. All visitor centers in the San Bernadino National Forest are closed for the safety of visitors and staff today, but campgrounds and other facilities remain open, with caution advised, said spokesman Gustavo Bahena.
The Palm Springs Tramway was already closed all month for scheduled maintenance.
Closed visitor centers in the national forest include: Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument; Lytle Creek - Cajon Pass Recreation Area; Fuller Mill Creek Picnic Area; and Barton Flats Family Campground.
“During the summer, a typical weekend would be really busy at all of these visitor centers, and even on a Monday, if you have campers staying over from the weekend,” said San Bernardino National Forest spokesman Gustavo Bahena. "Our primary concern is the safety of our visitors and our employees because of possibly hazardous conditions.”
Ocotillo Wells State Park inland units are all closed but expected to re-open tomorrow, including the popular Ocotillo Wells off-road vehicle riding area, said Superintendent Andrew Ahlberg. "They're still out doing assessments. From what I'm hearing, it is very, very wet. Some of the staff are unable to continue down trails, they had turned around so they wouldn't themselves get stuck. But ... desert does dry out fairly quickly."
—Janet Wilson
Update: Road closures across Coachella Valley on Monday
Interstate 10 is closed on both the east and westbound sides from Haugen Lehmann to Bob Hope. CAL Trans said I-10 would remain closed until further notice.
Trained weather-spotters reported water flowing across I-10 in multiple locations on both the eastbound and westbound lanes.
California Highway Patrol Officer David Torres said late Monday morning that he did not have an ETA for the opening of Interstate 10. He said they are hopeful to at least open the section from Haugen-Lehmann to Highway 111 once the “all clear” is received from the City of Palm Springs.
Many other roads are closed due to storm damage and flooding across the Coachella Valley, leaving significant clean-up work to allow residents to travel across the valley again.
Road closures in Palm Springs:
According to California Highway Patrol and Palm Springs Police Department, the following roads remain closed until further notice.
Indian Canyon Drive between Sunrise Parkway and Train Station Road
Gene Autry Trail between Via Escuela and RR bridge
Vista Chino between Clubhouse View Drive and Cathedral City limits
Lawrence Crossley Road (Golf Club) between East Palm Canyon Drive and 34th Avenue
Dinah Shore bridge between Lawrence Crossley and Cathedral Canyon Drive
CHP has closed Interstate 10 between Bob Hope Drive and Haugen-Lehmann Way
Crews are assessing the road damage and mud residual on arterials which will take time. CHP and PSPD will reopen roads as they are safe to do so.
Road closures in Palm Desert:
Washington and Harris
Gerald Ford in between Cook and Frank Sinatra
Fred Waring between Cook and Warner Trail
Parkview Drive
Mountain View Avenue
Road closures in Indio
Shields Road and Avenue 46
Fargo Street and Indio Boulevard
Jefferson Street between Ave 48 and Corsica Gate
John Nobles and Arabia Street
Jefferson Street and Dunbar Drive
Road closures in Coachella
Avenue 48 between Van Buren and Grapefruit Boulevard
6th Street between Vine and Orchard
Frontage Road between Calle Zamora and Avenue 53
Avenue 52 and Education Way
Avenue 48 and Cielo Victoria Street
Avenue 50 at the Whitewater Wash
Road closures in Indian Wells:
Fred Waring Drive from Cook Street to California Street
Road closures in Desert Hot Springs:
Little Morongo between Pierson and Mission Lakes Blvd.
Hacienda Avenue and Long Canyon
Pierson Boulevard between Little Morongo and Golden Eagle Way
Hacienda between Calle Amapola and Redbud
Dillon east of Little Morongo
Two Bunch Palms between Cholla and Cabot Road
Indian Canyon between Mission Lakes and Pierson
Pierson at Karen Avenue
—Erin Rode
State Route 38 closed due to mudslide
State Route 38 is closed due to a mudslide, CalTrans said Monday. The closure, affecting one of the main routes from the desert floor up to the San Bernardino National Forest and nearby communities, runs from Bryant Street in Redlands up to Balky Horse Canyon Rd below Sugarloaf. Motorists are advised to use an alternate route, such as State Route 18, said a spokesman with the national forest.
Crews repairing sinkhole
The heavy rain caused a 15-foot by 15-foot sinkhole to develop at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Fred Waring Drive around 3:30 p.m on Sunday, and the rushing water falling into the pit damaged a Coachella Valley Water District sewer line.
CVWD operations and engineering crews have been working to fix the line throughout Monday. Lorraine Garcia, public information officer for CVWD, said there is no timetable on when the line and sinkhole will be repaired, but added that it has not caused an interruption in service.
Southbound traffic on Washington has been reduced to one lane at that busy intersection that divides La Quinta and Indian Wells near Southwest Church.
—Shad Powers
Status of mail delivery uncertain Monday
A staff member who answered the phone at the Palm Springs Post Office said the team there is still trying to determine if mail will be delivered out of that office today. He noted that most mail carriers live out of town and that only about one-third had made it into work so far Monday. He said they were in the process of determining which routes would be served today but that most mail would likely be delivered Tuesday.
—Paul Albani-Burgio
Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs trash service delayed
Palm Springs Disposal Services wrote on its website that all services will be delayed by one day this week because of the number of road closures in the city. The cities of Cathedral City and Palm Desert both confirmed on social media that Burrtec Waste is running all routes Monday as normal, although service could be delayed and might need to be made up in areas that are inaccessible to trucks.
The City of Desert Hot Springs also confirmed that Desert Valley Disposal collection is being shifted by one day for the rest of the week.
—Paul Albani-Burgio
911 lines still down in three cities
As of 7:30 a.m. Monday, 911 lines are still down in Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Indio after service was knocked out by the storm on Sunday night. Residents were instructed to call the following numbers to reach dispatchers in each of the three cities:
760-327-4341 (Palm Springs)
760-770-0330 (Cathedral City)
760-391-4051 (Indio)
Residents could also send texts to 911 to reach dispatchers and request first responders. The city of Palm Springs wrote on its social media page Sunday night that it was not yet clear when the lines would be repaired.
No damage at Acrisure Arena; rink closed Monday
Acrisure Arena is reporting no major damage, only minor leaks from the rain and wind, according to VP of Marketing Joyce Szudzik. She added that the process of assessing the whole building is still ongoing.
As far as scheduling at the arena goes, all activities at the Berger Foundation Iceplex are canceled this morning and the rink is closed.
"We are hoping to open for regular sessions beginning at 3 p.m. (Monday) depending on conditions," Szudzik said. Updates will be on the @BegerIceplex social media channels.
Morning rain total update
Palm Springs smashed its daily rainfall record for Aug. 20, picking up 3.18 inches officially at Palm Springs International Airport on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record of 0.21 was set in 2003.
At the Palm Springs Tramway, they picked up 8.69 inches on Sunday.
Across the valley, 48-hour rainfall totals as of 6 a.m. Monday included:
Palm Desert 3.91
Thousand Palms 3.56
Palm Springs Airport 3.23
La Quinta 3.24
Thermal 3.07
—Matt Solinsky
Monday weather forecast for the Coachella Valley
The weather forecast calls for more tranquil conditions Monday, allowing for cleanup efforts to get underway. It will gradually become sunny on Monday with an afternoon high near 87 degrees.
Tuesday's forecast calls for sunshine with a high of 93 degrees. The thermometer will return to the low 100s by Wednesday and Thursday.
In the calm after the storm, some try to hit Indio-area trails
It didn’t take long for Jon Bennett to realize his morning hike was going to be cut short by Tropical Storm Hilary.
Despites clearing, calm skies Monday morning, Bennett ended his hike Monday morning at the East Indio Hills Badlands Trail almost before it began.
“I was expecting some erosion, but the standing water is enough for me to head home,” said Bennett, who lives just 2 miles from the trailhead at the corner of Avenue 42 and Golf Center Parkway in north Indio.
“I thought with almost no rain overnight that the water would be absorbed by the sand, but if it is that bad so early on the trail, it’s probably not worth trying to do the entire trail,” said Bennett, who said he hikes the trail three times a week.
While there were only six cars in the parking lot of the trailhead at 7 a.m., some hikers were deterred by the puddles.
“Sure, there is some damage along the path, but you had to expect that after that much rain,” said Betty Garcia of Indio, who finished her hike just after 7 p.m. “They are going to have to repair some areas, but it wasn’t that bad."
The Badlands Trail climbs into the hills of Indio and looks down on the two golf courses at he Golf Club at Terra Lago.
― Larry Bohannan
Thousands with no power in California after tropical storm
Hilary brought intense rainfall to Southern California on Sunday, leaving thousands of residents without power as the storm took out power lines.
Hilary, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone overnight, was the first tropical storm to cross into California from Mexico since Nora in 1997, the National Weather Service office in San Diego said Sunday night.
If Hilary had come in off the ocean in a landfall in California, it would have been the first tropical storm to do so since 1939.
Hilary is still expected to bring heavy rain and significant flooding to the Southwestern portion of the U.S. as it heads northward, the National Hurricane Center said.
President Joe Biden, who is traveling to Hawaii on Monday to survey damage from devastating wildfires in Maui, urged "everyone in the path of this storm to take precautions and listen to the guidance of state and local officials."
As of 3:50 a.m. Pacific, there are over 57,000 reported outages in California, according to Poweroutage.us.
Over 23,000 of those outages are reported in Los Angeles County and over 6,000 are reported in San Bernardino County.
-- USA Today
Desert Sands, Palm Springs Unified schools closed Monday
All schools will be closed Monday in two of the Coachella Valley's three districts, Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified.
In Coachella Valley Unified School District, the first day of the school year will be Thursday.
Xavier College Preparatory High School also said it will be closed Monday, although staff will try to come to campus to assess any damage caused by the storm. The school said it is anticipating some minor damage caused by flooding and leaks.
College of the Desert will also be closed on Monday, although classes for the new semester are not set to begin until next week. College of the Desert "currently has a lot of water and debris on site," and the Palm Desert campus has also "experienced some water intrusion in key areas."
School officials are asking everyone to remain off campus, and "no business will be conducted at any location, with the exception of COD’s Maintenance Team and Campus Safety Team, who will help assess the damage and determine any challenges to student or work spaces." Regular business is expected to resume on Tuesday.
—Paul Albani-Burgio and Erin Rode
No home delivery of Monday Desert Sun print edition
Due to unsafe road conditions throughout the Coachella Valley and beyond, there will be no home delivery of the print edition of The Desert Sun on Monday. A full report of the storm and other news is available at desertsun.com. The e-edition of the newspaper is available for subscribers here.
Palm Springs declares local emergency
Palm Springs City Manager Scott Stiles declared a local emergency on Sunday because of the storm, city spokesperson Amy Blaisdell said.
She said the declaration opens up access to extra resources, such as funds for repairs from storm damage and more flexibility with emergency purchases.
City law gives the manager the authority to proclaim a local emergency, but it must be ratified by the city council within seven days or it becomes invalid.
—Paul Albani-Burgio
Indio declares a State of Emergency
Indio City Manager Bryan Montgomery declared a State of Emergency in the city on Sunday due to the storm. The local state of emergency will last for seven days and is a required step to request state or federal assistance, according to a press release from the city. The State of Emergency will also allow the city to activate its emergency plan.
“Tropical Storm Hilary has threatened local infrastructure and public health and safety, and exceeds the City’s capacity to address the impacts with its own personnel and resources,” the press release stated.
—Erin Rode
Storm shelter at Desert Mirage High School
Desert Mirage High School in Thermal is being used as a temporary storm shelter, according to the Coachella Valley Unified School District.
The shelter is open to the public and includes a dedicated reception area and a cooling zone. The district said it expects the shelter to be open until Monday or Tuesday afternoon, with more information to be sent out as the storm continues.
—Paul Albani-Burgio
Red Cross shelters open in Thermal, Banning
The American Red Cross is opening several shelters in response to Hurricane Hilary. The local shelters in Imperial, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties are:
Desert Mirage High School (86150 66th Ave., Thermal)
Banning Community Center (789 North San Gorgonio Ave., Banning)
El Centro Community Center (375 S. 1st St., El Centro)
Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel (57373 Joshua Lane, Yucca Valley)
Redlands East Valley High School (31000 E. Colton Ave., Redlands)
—Erin Rode
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Hilary live updates: I-10 reopens, firefighters rescue 14 seniors
