Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall in California after earthquakes
LOS ANGELES - Tropical Storm Hilary made expected to make landfall in Southern California Sunday evening, hours after dozens of earthquakes struck the Ventura County area.
After making landfall in California, Hilary marked the first time a tropical storm has touched down in California since 1939.
The news comes hours after the state dealt with more than a dozen earthquakes in the Ojai area and after Hilary made landfall on Mexico's Baja California coast. The storm is feared to bring deadly flash flooding in the border city of Tijuana, Southern California and places as far north as Idaho that rarely get such heavy rain.
As of Sunday night the storm has dropped more than six inches of rain on parts of Los Angeles County and more than three inches of rain on parts of Ventura County over the last 48 hours.
PREV. COVERAGE: Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall as heavy rains douse SoCal
Hilary weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm off the coast of Baja California, but it was still expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and likely dangerous flooding to some areas, particularly the mountains and the Antelope Valley.
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In anticipation of the possible landfall, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office declared a state of emergency for most of Southern California "to support faster recovery and response efforts." Los Angeles County launched an emergency page for residents looking to get countywide updates on the storm, as well as where to turn to for resources.
Newsom said 7,500 personnel were activated in southern California, with close to 4,000 California Highway Patrol members, 2,000 Caltran workers and mutual aid across the region. Newsom warned residents to take seriously any alerts of flash floods, lighting and possibility of tornadoes.
President Joe Biden also issued a statement Sunday, saying that federal officials were providing assistance to the area, and urging people to listen to local officials' calls for caution during the storm.
"I continue to be briefed on our preparedness efforts, and the storm’s potential impact — including flooding," Biden's statement read. "My Administration stands ready to provide additional assistance as requested. I urge people to take this storm seriously, and listen to state and local officials."
National Weather Service meteorologist Lisa Phillips says Los Angeles is expected to experience the peak of the storm's rainfall until 9 p.m. Sunday. She said showers are expected through the night into Monday, with showers tapering off during the day.
Customers with both SoCal Edison and LADWP reported power outages across the region due to the heavy rain.
Thousands of residents in Southern California also were rattled Sunday by a preliminary magnitude 5.1 earthquake and several aftershocks centered in Ventura County.
Here's what you need to know about the storm and its impact on Southern California.
Los Angeles County
Evacuations
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has asked residents and visitors to leave Catalina Island ahead of rough seas and high winds. To assist, the city of Long Beach has opened a temporary shelter at Silverado Park located at 1545 W. 31st Street to support those who have left the island.
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Weather Alerts
- A flash flood warning has been issued until 3:00 a.m. for most of northern Los Angeles County including downtown Los Angeles, Glendale, Malibu, Lancaster, Malibu and more.
- An Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory has been declared for all Los Angeles County beaches, with residents urged to avoid water contact, according to county public health officials. The advisory will be in effect until at least until 9 a.m. Thursday, and may be extended depending on further rainfall.
Road Closures/Hazards
- Flooding on the westbound 118 Freeway at Tampa Avenue
- Palmdale: Mudslide on the 14 FWY northbound #2 lane between Avenue P and Avenue N.
- Palmdale: Sierra Highway between Pearblossom Highway and Avenue S; Avenue N between Sierra Highway and 10th Street West; Avenue Q at 35th Street East; Avenue P at 10th Street East; Avenue O at 30th Street West; Palmdale Boulevard at 30th Street East; and 30th Street East between Avenue S and Avenue R.
- Duarte: Mel Canyon closed
- Duarte: Minor flooding on 210 Freeway near Oak Hill
- Santa Clarita: One westbound lane of Soledad Canyon Road between Oaks Springs Canyon Road and Sand Canyon Road will be shut down for debris removal.
School Closures
The follow Los Angeles County school districts have announced they'll be closed on Monday, Aug. 21:
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- Inglewood Unified School District
- Acton-Agua Dulce USD
- Pasadenda USD
- Saugus Union SD
- William S. Hard Union High SD
- Castaic USD
- Newhall SD
- Sulphur Springs Union SD
- Westside Union SD
- Eastside Union SD
- Antelope Valley High SD
- Lancaster SD
- Palmdale SD
- Rosemead SD
- Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union SD
The LAUSD announced that while schools will be closed, they'll still be providing grab-and-go meals Monday at the following locations from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.:
- South East Senior High, 2720 Tweedy Blvd., South Gate
- Linda Esperanza Marquez Senior High, 6361 Cottage St., Huntington Park
- James A Garfield Senior High, 5101 E. Sixth St., Los Angeles
- Panorama Senior High, 8015 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City
- Sylmar Charter High School, 13050 Borden Ave., Sylmar
- William Mulholland Middle School, 17120 Vanowen St., Lake Balboa;
- John C Fremont Senior High, 7676 S San Pedro St., Los Angeles
- Phineas Banning Senior High, 1527 Lakme Ave., Wilmington
- Robert E Peary Middle School, 1415 W Gardena Blvd., Gardena
- RFK Community Schools - UCLA Community School K-12, 700 S. Mariposa Ave., Los Angeles
- Marina Del Rey Middle School, 12500 Braddock Drive
- Thomas Starr King Middle School Magnet: Film and Media, 4201 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles.
Gorman Elementary will start school two hours late on Monday.
Cal State Long Beach announced it will be closed Monday.
The University of Southern California announced that campus will be open on Monday, and classes for the fall semester is expected to begin on Monday, as planned.
Public Transit
- LBT will suspend bus service effective 6 p.m. Sunday, but it is expected to resume at 6 a.m. Monday
Miscellaneous
DoorDash has activated its Severe Weather Protocol and suspended operations in Los Angeles County. In a statement, DoorDash said it expects to resume operations Monday at 11 a.m. "but are dependent on evolving weather conditions."
Shelters
The city of Los Angeles has opened the following shelters:
- Echo Park Community Center 313 Patton St.;
- North Hollywood Senior Center 5301 Tujunga Ave.;
- Lake View Terrace Recreation Center 11075 Foothill Blvd.
- Central Park Recreation Center 1357 E. 22nd St.;
- Stoner Recreation Center 1835 Stoner Ave.;
- Lanark Recreation Center 21816 Lanark St., Canoga Park;
- South L.A. Sports Activity Center 7020 S. Figueroa St.;
- Glassell Park Recreation Center 3650 Verdugo Road.
Pasadena has also opened an emergency shelter at Villa Parke Community Center, 363 E Villa St.
Additionally, Red Cross shelters are also open. To find a Red Cross shelter, tap or click here.
Orange County
Evacuations
The Orange County Sheriff's Department issued a voluntary Evacuation Warning for Silverado and Williams canyons in the Bond Fire burn scar area. The voluntary warning is in effect from through Monday, Aug. 21. Deputies are urging anyone in those areas to leave, especially those with disabilities, access and/or functional needs, and canyon residents with large animals.
A map of evacuation areas can be found here.
Road Closures
- Southbound PCH is closed between Warner & Seapoint
Orange County also closed all recreational facilities, trails, campgrounds, beaches and libraries.
School Closures
Cal State Fullerton announced late Sunday that classes would be closed on Monday.
Riverside County
Weather Alerts
Flash Flood Warning was issued until 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
A Flash Flood Warning was issued for the area of the El Dorado Fire burn scar in Riverside County until 11:30 p.m.
Palm Springs has also declared a local emergency due to the storm.
Emergency Alerts
Anyone having problems getting through to 911 can call the following alternate emergency lines:
- (951)684-0911
- (951)776-1278
School Closures
College of the Desert announced campus would be closed on Monday due to flooding in the area, including some campus buildings.
Road Closures
- Both directions of California Oaks Road between SkyView Ridge and Morning Dove are closed due to water main break
- Palm Springs: Dinah Shore at the bridge from Palm Springs to Cathedral City, Farrell Drive between Mesquite Drive and Ramon Road, El Cielo at Mesquite Drive, Araby at the Wash, and Golf Club Drive at the wash are now shut down due to major flooding. In addition, North Indian Canyon Drive, Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino Drive at the wash remain closed. Gateway Drive is closed at the 111 due to flooding
- Indio: The 10 Freeway is closed in both directions between Bob Hope Drive to Gene Autry Trail due to flooding.
San Bernardino County
Evacuations
Saturday night, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department issued evacuation orders for Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks and northeast Yucaipa.
Sunday night, the department also issued an evacuation order for the Serrano Square neighborhood, south of Oak Glen Road and east of 2nd Street, in Yucaipa.
These areas are known to flood during heavy rainfall events and been the recipients of debris flows and of mudslides.
Weather Alerts
Flash Flood Warning in effect through 6 p.m. Sunday.
School Closures
Rialto Unified School District announced schools would be closed on Monday, Aug. 21.
The Colton Joint Unified School District also announced schools would be closed on Monday.
Ventura County
Weather Alerts
A Flash Flood Warning was issued for most of Ventura County, including Oxnard and Thousand Oaks, until 3 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21.
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Closures
Several theme parks, attractions, as well as county parks and facilities are closed due to the storm. Tap or click here for a complete list.
Schools
- Bear Valley Unified School District: CLOSED Monday
- Los Angeles Unified School District: TBD
- Cal State LA: Classes canceled Monday
Beaches/campgrounds
Closed effective Monday:
- Bolsa Chica State Beach
- Huntington State Beach
- Crystal Cove State Park (Including Historic District Cottages)
- Doheny State Beach
- San Clemente State Beach
- San Onofre State Beach
Airports
Ontario Airport announced Sunday that Southwest and Frontier have suspended all flights through Monday. Travelers are advised to check with specific airlines for the latest updates.
More Weather Alerts
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, the city's incident commander for the storm, said 1.5 to 3 inches of rain was forecast for the Los Angeles area, along with winds of 20 to 30 mph.
The Antelope Valley and San Gabriel Mountain areas, outside Los Angeles city limits, were expected to get the brunt of the storm, with 3 to 7 inches of rain and stronger winds, Crowley said.
Flash flooding and coastal flooding and dangerous rip tides were also expected.
Coastal areas will also be dealing with high surf that could create some flooding concerns in beach communities.
Forecasters said surf of 4 to 7 feet is possible at southeast- and south-facing beaches, along with strong rip currents -- with Catalina Island "most vulnerable" to the strong swells.
The storm is expected to remain in the region through Monday morning, likely clearing out by early afternoon, with scattered thunderstorms possible Tuesday.
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.