California’s first tropical storm in 84 years, Hilary is predicted to cause widespread flooding and disruptions in Southern California with sustained winds of up to 97km/h as it made landfall in Baja California, Mexico on Sunday morning with flights and events cancelled and attractions closed.
A State of Emergency has been declared for Southern California as the historic hurricane is expected to cause extreme rain and flooding, dumping up to more than a year’s worth of rain on parts of the US Southwest.
The State of Emergency order extends from the southern border of California to just north of Los Angeles.
The now-downgraded Tropical Storm Hilary weakened to a Category 1 over the weekend as it sped up off the coast of San Diego however the harshest impacts are expected into Monday local time.
LA Times reported that fast-moving Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in Baja California on Sunday, causing widespread flooding, mudslides and impacting homes before barrelling northward toward Southern California. Flood-prone Tijuana was on high alert in the days leading up to the event.
Impacts on travel
Flights may be affected on Sunday and Monday to and from all Southern California and some Central California airports, including LAX, Hollywood Burbank, Bakersfield Municipal, Ontario International, Palm Springs International, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo County Regional, John Wayne and San Diego International — as well as those to and from Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico.
Travellers are urged to check with airlines about potential flight delays or cancellations in or out of these hubs.
Parts of the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California are closed and Los Angeles officials will close all of the county’s parks, beaches, trails and outdoor facilities on Monday and Tuesday in anticipation of flash floods.
Major theme parks Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flag’s Magic Mountain have also closed earlier.
Major League Baseball and Soccer games were rescheduled on the weekend along with music concerts in LA’s Hollywood Bowl.
The news also comes as a 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit near Ojai in Southern California.
The state’s most recent wildfires in affected SoCal areas of San Diego and Santa Clara are currently contained, according to the government’s CAL FIRE website.
For the most up-to-date information, visit discoverlosangeles.com
