Cleanup underway in Southern California following Tropical Storm Hilary
San Bernardino and Riverside Counties continue to clean up on Tuesday after they got pounded with rain from Tropical Storm Hilary.
Severe flooding caused many road closures and stranded some people in their neighborhoods.
As rains began to taper off on Monday, utility and repair crews worked to resolve power outages, clear mud flows and remove fallen trees and branches.
Officials with the city of Desert Hot Springs initially reported at around 7:30 a.m. Monday that there was no way in or out of the city due to all the road closures in the area, but by 9:45 a.m., three exiting roads reopened.
Roads in Palm Springs also began to reopen through the morning and afternoon, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.
Riverside County Chief Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen declared a local emergency Monday for the entire county. The cities of Palm Springs, Indio, Cathedral City, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs and Coachella also issued local emergency declarations.
Mud inundated some streets in Cathedral City, and video from the scene showed multiple vehicles trapped in the muck, including at least one recreational vehicle. The mud also pushed against multiple homes, but the extent of damage to those homes was unclear.
Nearby Palm Desert also reported an array of road closures due to flooding. Video from other cities in the area showed cars swamped with floodwater, but there were no immediate reports of injuries associated with the storm.
Due to the major road closures still in place throughout all Coachella Valley cities, the SunLine Transit Agency suspended its service indefinitely. It will continue to run life-sustaining service only, officials said.
An evacuation order was issued from around 9 a.m. on Sunday to around noon Monday for the Mias zone in the Apple/El Dorado burn scar, north of Banning and near the Morongo Reservation, according to the Riverside County Emergency Management Department.
Seven Oaks and Potato Canyon communities in San Bernardino County are still under evacuation orders. Crews are working to rescue 10 people who are trapped in the area where one person is reportedly missing.
A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for Highland Springs, Beaumont, Hemet, Banning and Reche Canyon Road in Colton ahead of the storm, according to the EMD.
Most of Riverside County received between 1.5 and 4 inches of rain over the 48-hour storm period, with some notable exceptions. Mount San Jacinto reported 11.74 inches, according to the NWS. More than 3.8 inches fell in Palm Desert, 3.23 inches at Palm Springs International Airport and 5.75 inches in Morongo Valley. The area received more rain in one day than they normally see in a year.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a State of Emergency for much of Southern California including Riverside County to support the Hilary response and recovery efforts as the state continues mobilizing and coordinating resources ahead of the storm's forecasted impacts.
The governor signed an emergency proclamation Saturday in San Diego while visiting with California National Guard troops. He met with first responders and local officials, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. He was also in touch with federal officials, including the White House.
On Sunday morning, the Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioned supplies at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, and a FEMA Incident Management Assistance Team deployed to the California Office of Emergency Services and was prepared to assist with any requests for federal assistance.
Additional teams were on standby for deployment if necessary, officials said. Care and reception centers were available at Desert Mirage High School at 86150 66th Ave. in Thermal, at the Banning Community Services Center at 789 N. San Gorgonio Ave., both open 24 hours.
Residents requiring help with their animals were encouraged to call the Riverside County Department of Animal Services at 951 358-7387.
Before Sunday, a tropical storm had not landed in Southern California since 1939.
