Tropical Storm Hilary – live: Death Valley gets one year’s rain in a day as new flood warnings issued

Tropical Storm Hilary brought a year’s worth of rain to Death Valley in a single day – the wettest 24 hours on record for the region – as it flooded roads and toppled trees across California.

Hilary, now downgraded to a post-tropical storm, dumped 2.2 inches over Death Valley on Sunday, which is the average yearly precipitation for the region.

After hammering California, Hilary now marches northward, prompting flood watches and warnings in half a dozen states.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned that “continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” was expected over portions of the southwestern US, following record-breaking rainfall.

Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho, with potential thunderstorms and localised torrential rains on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, dramatic scenes showed rescuers reaching people through roads covered in mud and debris.

In Cathedral City, near Palm Springs, rescuers drove a bulldozer through mud to a swamped care home and rescued 14 residents by scooping them up.

In Palm Springs, officials revealed that the storm had fully cut off the area.

Key points

• Storm Hilary brings a year's worth of rain for Death Valley

• Storm Hilary to batter Oregon and Idaho after flooding California

• Rescuers drive bulldozer through mud to reach senior citizens stuck in care home

• More than dozen people rescued from San Diego riverbed

• 65,000 without power in California

• PICTURED: Tropical storm Hilary hammers Mexico and California

How a mix of natural and human-caused caused factors cooked up Tropical Storm Hilary's soggy mess

08:30 , Stuti Mishra

A natural El Nino, human-caused climate crisis, a stubborn heat dome over the nation’s midsection and other factors cooked up Tropical Storm Hilary’s record-breaking slosh into California and Nevada, scientists figure.

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How a mix of natural and human-caused caused factors cooked up Tropical Storm Hilary's soggy mess

Tropical Storm Hilary’s path brings much-needed rain over deadly Washington wildfires

07:34 , Stuti Mishra

From the collision of deadly, climate-driven disasters in the United States emerged a small sliver of good fortune on Monday, writes Louise Boyle.

Tropical Story Hillary, which has deluged Mexico, California and Nevada, is now bringing much-needed rain over the wildfires raging in Washington state as the system moves north.

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Tropical Storm Hilary’s path brings much-needed rain over deadly Washington wildfires

Mapped: The path of Tropical Storm Hilary bringing heavy rain and floods to California, Nevada and Mexico

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to drive north through southern California into Nevada over the course of Monday having already brought heavy rain and flooding to the desert region, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers.

Although Hilary has weakened from hurricane status, millions expect more flooding and mudslides to come.

The Pacific front had drifted north along the coast of Mexico’s arid Baja California Peninsula before it made landfall on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada.

Read more:

Mapped: The path of Tropical Storm Hilary

Storm Hilary brings a year's worth of rain for Death Valley

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Death Valley in California, known for its extremely hot temperatures, saw its "wettest day on record in 112 years" on Sunday, according to data shared by Weather Channel senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman on Twitter.

Tropical storm Hilary dumped 2.2 inches of rain over Death Valley on Sunday, which also happens to be the average yearly precipitation for the region.

Like the rest of California, Death Valley was also under threat of flooding with the national park remaining close as mud and debris cut off roads.

Video: Crews work to clear mud and debris from California roads after Storm Hilary

06:00 , Stuti Mishra

Rescuers drive bulldozer through mud to reach senior citizens stuck in care home

05:30 , Stuti Mishra

In a dramatic scene, rescue officials in the desert community of Cathedral City, near Palm Springs, drove a bulldozer through mud to a swamped care home and rescued 14 residents by scooping them up and carrying them to safety, fire chief Michael Contreras said.

They were among 46 rescues the city performed between late on Sunday night and the next afternoon from mud and water standing up to 5 feet (1.5 metres.)

“We were able to put the patients into the scoop. It’s not something that I’ve ever done in my 34 years as a firefighter, but disasters like this really cause us to have to look at those means of rescue that aren’t in the book and that we don’t do everyday,” he said at a news conference.

Palm Springs left completely cut off from rest of state by Tropical Storm Hilary flooding: ‘We’re stuck’

05:15 , Kelly Rissman

Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Palm Springs with over half of a year’s worth of rain in mere hours – and cut off the city’s emergency services.

California officials declared a local state of emergency due to “unprecedented rainfall and flooding of local roadways and at least one swift water rescue.” City officials also urged residents to stay home and to “avoid driving during these dangerous conditions.”

Dozens of cars are trapped in floodwaters across the city as well as in surrounding communities, according to ABC7.

“There’s no way in or out of Palm Springs and that’s the case for the majority of the Coachella Valley. We’re all stuck. Our major freeway, I-10, is also closed in both directions. This is a very extreme situation at the moment,” said Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner on Monday.

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Palm Springs left completely cut off by Tropical Storm Hilary flooding: ‘We’re stuck’

Storm Hilary to batter Oregon and Idaho after flooding California

04:33 , Stuti Mishra

Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, flooded roads, toppled trees and forced a rescue by bulldozer of more than a dozen older residents trapped by mud in a care home on Monday as it now marches northward, prompting flood watches and warnings in half a dozen states.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hilary had lost much of its steam and only vestiges of the storm were heading over the Rocky Mountains, but it warned that "continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding" was expected over portions of the southwestern US, following record-breaking rainfall.

Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho, with potential thunderstorms and localised torrential rains on Tuesday.

VIDEO: Mudflows gush down a hillside as Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall in Southern California

03:45 , Hayden Vernon

Mudflows rushed down a hillside as Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in Southern California.

Footage shows the muddy torrents sweeping away rocks between State Route 2 and Sheep Creek on 20 August.

Drivers were advised to stay off SR-2 also known as the Angeles Crest Highway, in the Angeles National Forest as any trace of the road was no longer visible.

Millions of Americans were under flood and high-wind warnings as the storm moved north, unleashing heavy rains from the California-Mexico border to Las Vegas and beyond.

British expat in LA describes ‘biblical’ scenes amid Storm Hilary and earthquake

03:00 , Tom Campbell

A British expat living in Los Angeles has said Storm Hilary turned the street outside his house into a “river” which you could have “canoed down”, describing the tempest and concurrent earthquake as “biblical”.

Tim Amoui, originally from Haslemere in Surrey, and his American partner Shayda Frost, 37, “battened down the hatches” after receiving Government emergency alerts to his phone advising “flood warning, danger to life” on Sunday.

The 34-year-old businessman said the situation deteriorated rapidly and became “more apocalyptic” overnight on Sunday when the Californian city was struck by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake.

Read more:

British expat in LA describes ‘biblical’ scenes amid Storm Hilary and earthquake

VIDEO: Cars drive through floodwater after Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall in California

02:15 , Hayden Vernon

Footage shows cars driving through floods after Tropical Storm Hilary hit California.

The video, posted to Snapchat, shows cars navigating floodwater after torrential rains in the city of Coachella.

Southern California faced its its first tropical storm in 84 years, with the threat of flooding, blackouts, high winds and tornadoes.

Millions of Americans were under flood and high-wind warnings as the storm moved north, unleashing heavy rains from the California-Mexico border to Las Vegas and beyond.

Bill Nye: ‘If you like to worry about things, this is a great time'

01:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Fox News attempts to pin Hilary on Biden

Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:45 , Gustaf Kilander

VIDEO: Tropical storm Hilary batters Mexico, California

Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Disturbance in Mexican Gulf has 80% chance of developing into tropical disturbance

Monday 21 August 2023 23:30 , AP

The Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement Sunday that 911 lines were down and that in the event of an emergency, residents should text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station.

As skies were clearing Monday in California, the National Weather Service warned of flooding underway in the Mount Charleston area west of Las Vegas. Forecasters said the threat for flooding in states farther north on Monday was highest across much of southeastern Oregon into the west-central mountains of Idaho “with record breaking precipitation” forecast for Monday morning.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center, meanwhile, were watching a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that now has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical disturbance or tropical storm before reaching the western Gulf coastline on Tuesday. Forecasters urged people along the coast in northern Mexico and Texas to monitor the system, adding that tropical storm watches or warnings may be issued later Monday.

Wettest day on record in San Diego

Monday 21 August 2023 23:00 , AP

Sunday was the wettest day on record in San Diego, with 1.82 inches (4.6 centimeters), the NWS said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The previous record was on Aug. 17, 1977, when 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters) of rain fell in the area post-Hurricane Doreen.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest school system, said all campuses would be closed on Monday, along with other districts across the region. San Diego schools postponed the first day of classes from Monday to Tuesday.

VIDEO: Tropical Storm Hilary forces school closures

Monday 21 August 2023 22:30 , Gustaf Kilander

‘Continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding’ expected

Monday 21 August 2023 22:00 , AP

The National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm in its early Monday advisory, but warned that “continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S. on Monday. All coastal warnings were discontinued.

Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

First tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years

Monday 21 August 2023 21:30 , AP

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 more than 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain by Sunday evening.

In September 1939, a tropical storm that roared into California ripped apart train tracks, tore houses from their foundations and capsized many boats, killing nearly 100 people on land and at sea.

Hilary bringing rain to Northwest and British Columbia wildfires

Monday 21 August 2023 21:15 , Gustaf Kilander

VIDEO: Southern California deserts slammed by Hilary

Monday 21 August 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Climate crisis 'supercharging' tropical storms

Monday 21 August 2023 20:45 , Louise Boyle

Tropical Storm Hilary is hammering swathes of California with “life-threatening” floods after making landfall in Mexico on Sunday.

Forecasters warned that a year’s worth of rainfall could swamp the region in a matter of days during the first tropical storm system to hit California in almost a century.

The impacts of the downpours were becoming apparent on Monday: officials in Palm Springs announced that the city had been completely cut off by flooding.

In Los Angeles, The Dodgers baseball stadium was marooned by water as the city’s mayor warned that it could still “get much worse”.

Tropical storms and hurricanes are being “supercharged” by the human-caused climate crisis, according to non-profit Climate Signals, and this year are receiving an extra boost of heat from El Nino, a recurring weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

Climate scientists have discovered that not only is the global heating from fossil-fuel burning causing cyclones to pop up in unexpected locations but they are also more rapidly intensifying and producing more rain - leading to a greater toll on people, property and infrastructure.

Southern California hit by earthquake

Monday 21 August 2023 20:30 , AP

Hilary is just the latest major weather or climate disaster to wreak havoc across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Hawaii’s island of Maui is still reeling from a blaze that killed more than 100 people and ravaged the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Firefighters in Canada are battling that nation’s worst fire season on record.

Southern California got another surprise Sunday afternoon as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 hit near Ojai, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was felt widely and was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury, according to a dispatcher with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Tropical Storm Hilary first made landfall in Baja California on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Ensenada. One person drowned. It then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the U.S. border.

‘Thank God my family is OK'

Monday 21 August 2023 20:00 , AP

Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs and inland mountains, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers.

By early Monday, remnants of the storm that first brought soaking rains to Mexico’s arid Baja California peninsula and the border city of Tijuana, threatened Nevada and as far north as Oregon and Idaho with flooding.

Southern Californians were battling flooded roads, mudslides and downed trees.

“Thank God my family is OK,” Maura Taura said after a three-story-tall tree crashed down on her daughter’s two cars but missed the family’s house in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles.

PHOTOS: Californians deal with aftermath of Hilary

Monday 21 August 2023 19:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Dramatic video shows storm Hilary flooding Los Angeles Dodgers baseball stadium

Monday 21 August 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Aerial footage over Los Angeles has revealed the devastation wrought by Hurricane Hilary – the first tropical storm to strike Los Angeles since 1939.

Footage taken from a helicopter flying over the city shows the stadium for the LA Dodgers baseball team surrounded by water while the field inside is seemingly still spared from the floodwaters.

The footage was posted by the account dodgeraerial on Instagram and subsequently shared on other platforms.

Read more:

Dramatic video shows storm Hilary flooding Los Angeles Dodgers baseball stadium

Southern California prepares for more floods as post-Tropical Storm Hilary brings more rain

Monday 21 August 2023 18:30 , AP

Tropical Storm Hilary deluged arid parts of Mexico and then drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs and inland mountains, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers. Even as the storm subsides across the coast, flooding and mudslides were expected across the parts of the southwestern U.S.

The storm first made landfall in Mexico’s arid Baja California Peninsula on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Ensenada. One person drowned. It then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the U.S. border.

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.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm in its early Monday advisory, and warned that “continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” was expected over portions of the southwestern U.S. on Monday. All coastal warnings were discontinued.

VIDEO: Southern California Braces for More Flooding After Being Hit by Tropical Storm Hilary

Monday 21 August 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

‘Most significant rainfall over a 60-minute period any time in the history of Palm Springs’

Monday 21 August 2023 17:30 , Kelly Rissman

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Palm Springs on Sunday said the state had experienced “the most significant rainfall over a 60-minute period any time in the history of Palm Springs.”

“That’s how quickly this system is moving. Take nothing for granted,” Mr Newsom told a news briefing in Los Angeles.

The City of Palm Springs issued a warning via X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that 911 lines were down across the city. “Please call (760) 327-1441 for any police or fire related matter. Frontier Communications is working on the problem, but at this time there is no estimated time for repair.” Residents can also text 911, the statement added.

Both Governor Newsom and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo have declared states of emergency.

VIDEO: California faces Hilary, earthquake

Monday 21 August 2023 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Palm Springs left completely cut off from rest of state by Tropical Storm Hilary flooding: ‘We’re stuck’

Monday 21 August 2023 16:30 , Kelly Rissman

Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Palm Springs with over half of a year’s worth of rain in mere hours—and cut off the city’s emergency services.

California officials declared a local state of emergency due to “unprecedented rainfall and flooding of local roadways and at least one swift water rescue.” City officials also urged residents to stay home and to “avoid driving during these dangerous conditions.”

Dozens of cars are trapped in floodwaters across the city as well as in surrounding communities, according to ABC7.

“There’s no way in or out of Palm Springs and that’s the case for the majority of the Coachella valley. We’re all stuck. Our major freeway, I-10, is also closed in both directions. This is a very extreme situation at the moment,” said Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner on Monday.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Palm Springs on Sunday said the state had experienced “the most significant rainfall over a 60-minute period any time in the history of Palm Springs.”

Read more:

Palm Springs left completely cut off by Tropical Storm Hilary flooding: ‘We’re stuck’

Live: Tropical Storm Hilary batters US-Mexico border

Monday 21 August 2023 16:15 , The Independent

Three cruise lines adjust their schedules to avoid strom

Monday 21 August 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Three cruise lines operating out of Southern California have adjusted their schedules to accommodate tropical storm Hilary.

Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean have both shifted the schedule of the Emerald Princess and the Navigator of the Seas, according to CruiseRadio.net.

Carnival Panorama, operated by Carnival Cruise Line, will not make its scheduled stop in Mazatlan, Mexico.

In a letter to guests, Carnival Cruise Line said that “Our Fleet Operations Center continues to monitor Hurricane Hilary. Due to the projected path of the cruise, we have modified the itinerary for your cruise. Unfortunately, we have to cancel our call to Mazatlan”.

Royal Caribbean told guests: “Along with our Chief Meteorologist, we’ve been closely monitoring adverse weather due to Hurricane Hilary. To maintain a safe and comfortable journey, we’ll now visit Ensenada, Mexico on Saturday evening, August 19, arriving at 7 p.m. and staying until midnight.”

Meanwhile, Princess Cruises noted that “as a result of Hurricane Hilary, and as the safety of our guests and crew remain our highest priority, Emerald Princess has adjusted her itinerary. She will arrive in Ensenada on Saturday, August 19 for a service only call, guests will not be able to go ashore. Emerald Princess will then head directly for Los Angeles arriving one day early on Sunday, August 20. Guests can decide to depart the ship on Sunday or remain onboard until the morning of Monday, August 21”.

More than dozen people rescued from San Diego riverbed as Hilary brings flooding to California

Monday 21 August 2023 15:30 , Gustaf Kilander

As many as 14 people have been rescued from a riverbed in San Diego in southern California as storm Hilary brought massive flooding to the area.

The rescue took place on Sunday night in the area near the Morena Boulevard Bridge in Mission Valley, according to NBC 7.

Firefighters and lifeguards responded to a call reporting that about 20 people were stuck in the river, San Diego Fire-Rescue said.

Read more:

More than dozen people rescued from San Diego riverbed as Hilary brings flooding

Hilary has already dropped more than half an average year’s worth of rain

Monday 21 August 2023 15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years, Hilary has already dropped more than half an average year’s worth of rain on some areas, including the desert resort of Palm Springs, which had seen nearly 7.6 centimetres of rain by Sunday evening.

Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water.

Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest school system, said all campuses would be closed on Monday, as did districts across the region, while the Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement on Sunday that 911 lines were down and that in the event of an emergency to text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station.

Tropical Storm Hilary is projected to weaken as it continues moving northward over California and into Nevada, but Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said “very heavy” rain and strong winds are still likely.

Mapped: The path of Tropical Storm Hilary bringing heavy rain and floods to California, Nevada and Mexico

Monday 21 August 2023 14:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to drive north through southern California into Nevada over the course of Monday having already brought heavy rain and flooding to the desert region, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers.

Although Hilary has weakened from hurricane status, millions expect more flooding and mudslides to come.

The Pacific front had drifted north along the coast of Mexico’s arid Baja California Peninsula before it made landfall on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada.

One person drowned in Mugele when their vehicle was swept away and the Mexican military had to step in with bulldozers and dump trucks to help clear tonnes of boulders and earth that clogged streets and roads, as well as downed power lines.

The storm then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the US border.

Read more:

Mapped: The path of Tropical Storm Hilary

VIDEO: Tropical Storm Hilary making landfall in Baja California captured on satellite footage

Monday 21 August 2023 14:20 , Billal Rahman

Southern California braces for more floods as tropical storm soaks region from coast to desert

Monday 21 August 2023 14:00 , AP

Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to inland mountains and deserts Sunday evening, prompting rescues from swollen rivers and forcing some of the nation’s largest school districts to cancel Monday classes. Millions braced for more flooding and mudslides, even as the storm began to weaken.

The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary brought intensifying rain to the region, with some mountain and desert areas seeing more than half an average year’s worth of rain come down in just one day, including the desert resort city of Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3 inches of rain by Sunday evening.

Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and fire officials rescued a dozen people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

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VIDEO: Hilary crumbles road in Santa Clarita

Monday 21 August 2023 13:40 , Gustaf Kilander

More than dozen people rescued from San Diego riverbed

Monday 21 August 2023 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

More than a dozen people had to be rescued from a San Diego riverbed on Sunday night as extreme flooding pummeled the area.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responded to a call for up top 20 peopel stuck in the river near the Morena Boulevard Bridge in Mission Valley.

A rescue mission was launched with officials finding 14 people stranded on an island of the river.

Emergency services managed to rescue all 14 people, with two of them being treated for injuries.

WATCH: Heavy flows from Tropical Storm Hilary outside of Los Angeles

Monday 21 August 2023 13:01 , Josh Marcus

Tropical Storm Hilary causing flooding and waterways full of debris throughout the Los Angeles area.

AccuWeather captured this clip of a log-filled, muddy stream surge in Sheep Canyon, northeast of Los Angeles.

65,000 without power in California

Monday 21 August 2023 12:40 , Rachel Sharp

Around 65,000 homes are currently dealing with power outages across California as the southern parts of the state are hammered by extreme weather, according to Poweroutage.US.

As of 3am local time, 65,009 of the 14.8 million customers tracked across the state were without power.

San Diego Gas & Electric said that thousands of its customers had been impacted

“Tropical Storm Hilary has brought heavy rain and high winds to our region. Multiple SDG&E crews are working through the night to restore power to affected customers,” the company said on its website.

People were urged to stay away from any downed power lines.