Tropical Storm Hilary has triggered devastating mudslides across Southern California roadways.
A mudslide in Palmdale closed several lanes of the 14 Freeway on Sunday, with roads near Ocotillo and part of the I-8 near San Diego also experiencing blockages.
Crews worked to clear the slides but residents were urged not to undertake unnecessary travel by the California Transportation Department.
The state is enduring devastating floods and dangerously strong winds, as well as a 5.1 magnitude earthquake in Ventura County and a tornado watch in San Diego.
Meanwhile even Death Valley National Park – often one of the hottest and driest places on earth – has been closed due to flooding.
As Hilary continues to wreak havoc across the state:
- Biden said he was monitoring the storm and urged people to take it seriously;
- Counties in Southern California declared emergencies for the tropical storm;
- A hospital in the Coachella Valley flooded after a nearby pond burst its banks;
- LA and San Diego schools were closed through the weekend until Monday;
- One person was killed and four rescued in Baja California following the storm.
A road cracked in Santa Clarita on Sunday after the area endured an earthquake and flooding
A power line pole is replaced on the East Side of Long Beach, California, as Tropical Storm Hilary raged on
Falling boulders also blocked a road near Ocotillo, and part of the I-8 near San Diego.
Palm Springs has been submerged in a deluge of floodwater as Tropical Storm Hilary continues to batter California.
The storm is proving a nightmare for the Coachella Valley as well as for other desert communities and Southern California’s inland mountain ranges.
The area recorded 2.06 inches of rain on Sunday, a record for the August date, a National Weather Service forecaster said.
Shocking footage emerged throughout Sunday of cars, trucks and ambulances swallowed by flood waters in Palm Springs.
The Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs flooded on Sunday as a result of the record rain.
‘A pond next to Eisenhower hospital in Rancho Mirage overflowed from heavy rains, sending water pouring into the ER’ NBC reported alongside footage of flooded corridors.
‘Crews now working to clean up and sandbag to keep more water out as the rain picks back up’ the outlet added.
Shocking footage of cars swallowed by flood waters in Palm Springs on Sunday
The Los Angeles River was turned from its usual small stream into a torrent of water that filled its banks
Motorists deal with a flooded road and stuck vehicles near Palm Springs during heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary
An ambulance drives through a flooded street in Palm Springs, California as Tropical Storm Hilary approached on Sunday
A vehicle drives through a flooded intersection as tropical storm Hilary makes landfall in Palm Springs
Death Valley National Park was closed due to flooding as a result of the downpour brought by Tropical Storm Hilary.
The park released shocking footage of streams coursing through its arid land on Sunday.
The rocky desert landscape near Zabriskie Point was overcome with muddy floodwaters.
Officials for the national park also warned the situation was likely to get worse.
‘This video was taken near Zabriskie Point earlier this morning. Hurricane Hilary is forecasted to cause heavy rain for the next several days, so conditions are expected to worsen,’ the park wrote on Facebook.
Tropical Storm Hilary continued its path of devastation through Southern California on Sunday night
Death Valley National Park has closed due to flooding as a result of the downpour brought by Tropical Storm Hilary
The park, often one of the hottest and driest places on earth, released shocking footage of streams coursing through its arid land on Sunday
Also on Sunday California was hit by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake as Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in LA and San Diego with 80mph winds.
The quake centered in Ventura County was felt across parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon.
The center is reported to have been four miles southeast of Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Shaking was reported in Malibu, Porter Ranch, parts of Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach and other locations.
A tornado warning has also been issued for San Diego and the surrounding Alpine and Descanso areas.
The National Weather Service released the warning at t 3:39 p.m. on Sunday local time, and will last until 4pm.
The United States Geological Survey, which reports and records earthquakes, said there were at least four aftershocks of magnitude-3.0 or greater.
It comes as Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall in Southern California moving up from Mexico at speeds of 25mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
