Photo: DAVID SWANSON/AFP/Getty Images
Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday for much of Southern California, while the state is bracing for hurricane hilary which is expected to cause extreme rainfall and flooding.
There are already “more than 7,500 boots on the ground” deployed to help protect from the impact of Hurricane Hilary, according to the statement from his office.
“Today, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for much of Southern California to support response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Hilary as the state continues to mobilize and coordinate resources ahead of the storm’s forecast impacts beginning today. ”, the statement says.
The center of the storm is expected to reach San Diego on Sunday afternoon, sometime between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., county authorities said at a news conference.
On Saturday afternoon, Governor Newsom activated the State Operations Center at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), focusing on positioning emergency resources, maintaining highway safety, protecting vulnerable communities, coordinating with industry retailers private like Target and close state parks and beaches.
They order evacuations
Authorities urged on Saturday residents and visitors to Catalina Island and those living in parts of San Bernardino County to evacuate when Hurricane Hilary is rapidly approaching the region and rain has already begun to fall in desert areas of southern California.
The guidelines refer especially to people who may require help during a natural disaster or suffer from conditions that require medical assistance.
Flooding concerns also prompted San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials to issue an evacuation order for the Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks and Northeast Yucaipa regions Saturday morning.
Orange County issued a voluntary evacuation alert in the area burned by the Bond Fire.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told Angelenos: “Get ready, take this seriously,” she said. “We are not used to hurricane preparation, but it is another example of climate change. So we have to be prepared for weather events that we are not used to. Stay safe.”
Hillary is still a big hurricane
The storm, which can dump more than a year’s worth of rain on parts of the southwestern United States, weakened from a Category 3 storm to a Category 2 storm on Saturday as it moved toward California, according to the National Hurricane Center ( NHC).
Hillary is still a large hurricane moving with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour, said the center.
Southern California’s first-ever Tropical Storm Warning has been issued in the wake of Hurricane #Hilary.
The historic storm will bring gusty winds, heavy rains, and a risk of power outages. pic.twitter.com/BTLltNSr9K
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 20, 2023
Residents of the US Southwest are bracing for “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” when the system hits the region as a rare tropical storm and the most severe impacts are expected from Sunday to Monday.
Torrential rains from the storm will begin to arrive well in advance of Hillary’s strongest core winds. Those winds could arrive as early as Sunday morning.along with more prolific and dangerous rainfall, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm has picked up speed and is moving faster than expected, at 17 mph and it is currently 640 miles southeast of San Diego.
Hilary is expected to continue to weaken as it moves north-northwest through cooler waters toward southern California.
The threat has caused California’s first tropical storm warning stretching from the state’s southern border to north of Los Angeles.
The Southwest is forecast to see heavy rain through early next week, with the heaviest conditions Sunday through Monday as Hillary approaches.
Prepare response to natural disaster
In anticipation of the storm, officials throughout the region have begun preparing for dangerous road conditions, downed electrical infrastructure, flooding and landslides.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo announced Friday that 100 state National Guard soldiers will be deployed to southern Nevada, which can experience significant flooding.
President Joe Biden said at a news conference Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has preemptively positioned personnel and supplies to respond in Southern California or other parts of the region, if necessary.
Keep reading:
– Hurricane Hilary has been downgraded to Category 2 and is expected to make landfall in Southern California sooner than expected
– The Mexican Pacific maintains the alert although Hurricane Hilary weakened to Category 2
– The Mexican Pacific maintains the alert although Hurricane Hilary weakened to Category 2