Heavy rains are feared to cause life-threatening flooding in the southwestern United States.
Heavy rains lashed California hard as Tropical Storm Hilary entered the United States from Mexico on Sunday afternoon local time. Tropical storms like Hilary are very rare in Southern California, and it is feared to cause life-threatening flooding in the normally dry American Southwest.
When the center of the storm Hilary reached California, the maximum wind speed was up to 95 kilometers per hour, according to the US Hurricane Center (NHC). Before that, the storm had crashed through the California peninsula in the western part of Mexico.
Hilary, which was previously at level four in the five-step hurricane classification, became a level two tropical storm already on the Mexican side as it moved towards the densely populated border city of Tijuana. Despite the decline, a U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representative Deanne Criswell urged people to take the situation seriously.
– The Hilary storm will have serious effects and is a great threat to Southern California, he told the news channel CNN.
Governor of California Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for much of the southern part of the state. The authorities have opened five storm shelters and sent more than 7,500 workers to the storm area, including several hundred National Guard soldiers and water rescue teams.
Beaches have been ordered to be closed and major sporting events have been moved further away. People have been hoarding water and other essential supplies from shops. In San Diego, people filled sandbags to prepare for possible flooding.
According to the U.S. Hurricane Center, Hilary’s rainfall is expected to reach up to 250 millimeters in parts of California and Nevada, the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of rain. Dangerous floods are feared in the regions. Heavy rain and flash flooding are also expected in parts of Oregon and Idaho.
Tornadoes are possible in southeastern California, western Arizona, southern Nevada and southwestern Utah, according to the hurricane center.
Director of Emergency Management, California Governor’s Office by Nancy Ward says Hilary could be one of the worst storms to hit the state in more than a decade.
– This is a very, very dangerous and significant storm. Don’t make the mistake of thinking otherwise, he said.
Source: AFP