Hurricane Hilary brings devastating flash floods to California

RANCHO MIRAGE, California, Aug 20: Tropical Storm Hilary brought torrential flash floods to both the eastern and western regions of Los Angeles on Sunday as the storm system made a historic entry into California after wreaking havoc in Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

One fatality was reported in Mexico due to flash flooding in the peninsula, where roads were washed away, and social media displayed torrents of water surging through streets.

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for much of Southern California, with flash flood warnings active until 3 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Monday in a region accustomed to drought.

Mountain and desert areas could receive 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 cm) of rain, as much as they usually get in a year, meteorologists predicted. The first tropical storm to hit Los Angeles County since 1939 led to severe flooding in the San Gabriel Mountains east of the city and coastal areas northwest in Ventura County.

San Bernardino County mandated evacuations in various towns within the mountains and valleys, where social media images depicted torrents of water, mud, rocks, and trees.

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In Wrightwood, California, approximately 70 miles (112 km) northeast of Los Angeles, rain cascaded trees and mud down a hill in Sheep Canyon. Further east, in Oak Glen - one of five San Bernardino County towns under evacuation orders - surging floodwater hurled trees, mud, and rocks into the air.

In more populated Ventura County to the west, the National Weather Service warned of life-threatening flooding after up to 2 inches (5 cm) of rain fell in just two hours. Cars became stranded in the community of Spanish Hills, where firefighters executed swift water rescues.

Newsom, touring Southern California, reported that Palm Springs, a desert destination in Riverside County, received "the most significant rainfall over a 60-minute period any time in the history of Palm Springs." The streets soon flooded.

"The system is moving rapidly. Don't take anything for granted," Newsom advised after updating U.S. President Joe Biden, who ordered federal resources to the area.

Residents expressed astonishment at the storm's impact. In Rancho Mirage, water and debris overwhelmed roads and even trapped a pickup truck nearly submerged.

"This is amazing. I've never witnessed anything like this," said Sean Julian, 54, of Rancho Mirage. "More trees are down. There's a huge tree that fell over there, and I probably shouldn't be out here."

The storm prompted flight cancellations, rescheduled sporting events, and school closures in Southern California. The region's beaches faced hazardous surf conditions.

Floodwaters surged through the usually modestly flowing Los Angeles River. Rock slides in Ocotillo, a desert town east of San Diego, disrupted traffic on Interstate 8, leading to delays on the route to Arizona.

Hilary had previously made landfall in Mexico's northern Baja California peninsula, prompting evacuations of nearly 1,900 people to shelters, as reported by the country's army.

The storm posed particular danger in low-income areas with homes that often don't meet proper building codes.

"We've always known it's a risky area. A lot of water flows nearby, but what can we do? It's our only place to live," said Yolanda Contreras, a resident of a flood-prone region in Rosarito, around 15 miles south of the U.S.-Mexican border.

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- With inputs from agencies

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