August 20, 2023 Storm Hilary batters California after making landfall in Mexico

CNN’s live coverage of post-tropical cyclone Hilary has moved. Follow the link for the latest updates on the storm.

Vehicles cross over a flood control basin that has almost reached the street on August 20 in Palm Desert, California.

Hilary is now a post-tropical cyclone and continues to move through the southwestern United States, bringing life-threatening flooding and gusty winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A post-tropical cyclone is a cyclone that no longer possesses sufficient tropical characteristics to be considered a tropical cyclone, but can continue to produce heavy rains and high winds.

Hilary has winds of 35 mph with stronger gusts and is located about 390 miles north of San Diego, in central Nevada, racing to the north at 29 mph.

Strong winds are expected to persist across portions of the western US today, particularly in and near areas of higher terrain.

All coastal tropical storm warnings have been discontinued. Flood watches remain in place for over 25 million people from Southern California northward to northern Idaho.

Tropical Storm Hilary crossed the US-Mexico border into California Sunday evening local time, becoming the first tropical storm in the state since Nora in 1997. 

The storm pushed into Southern California with fierce winds and heavy downpours as residents faced downed power lines and flooded streets.

Rescue workers have been called out in multiple locations, and while the storm has weakened significantly, it’s still battering California with extreme weather as it moves farther inland — adding to fears that floods and mudslides could turn deadly.

Here’s what you need to know:

A car is partially submerged in floodwaters in Cathedral City, California on August 20.

Tropical Storm Hilary is pushing into Southern California with fierce winds and heavy downpours as residents face downed powerlines, flooded streets and rescues needed.

Hilary is forecast to continue to move north through California and dissipate over central Nevada on Monday, bringing “potentially historic” rainfall amounts along the way that could trigger more floods, landslides and debris flows, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm could potentially be the first tropical system on record to strike Nevada.

It could also wreak havoc farther north. Rainfall up to 5 inches is possible across parts of Oregon and Idaho through Tuesday morning. This rainfall could lead to catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.

Once a hurricane, Hilary weakened as it made landfall in Mexico Sunday, where at least one person died, then it crossed over into the Golden State. The storm’s center was roughly 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles around 8 p.m. local time Sunday, moving north with weakened 45 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.

While the storm has weakened significantly, it’s still battering California with extreme weather as it moves farther inland, bringing continued fears that floods and mudslides could potentially turn deadly.

Read more here.

The 911 emergency phone system in Palm Springs, California, experienced an outage Sunday night, as the region feels the effects of Tropical Storm Hilary.

The city announced that voice lines were down in a widespread 911 outage, but said emergency services were accessible by texting 911 or calling direct lines to police and fire departments.

The city earlier declared a local emergency due to “unprecedented rainfall and flooding” from the storm, with residents asked to stay home and avoid driving.

A section of Interstate 10 in Cathedral City, California was closed Sunday night because of heavy rains.

The California Department of Transportation said the section had to be shut down “due to flooding and debris on the highway.”

Cathedral City is about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, near Joshua Tree National Park.

A man loads sandbags onto a truck in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary in San Bernardino, California on August 19.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has issued a shelter in place order for some residents in the county because of mud and debris blocking a roadway.

Evacuation orders: The department also noted an evacuation order was in effect for some residents.  

Earlier Sunday, a senior San Bernadino Fire Department officer urged residents to heed evacuation orders and stay off the road unless they are in danger. 

“If we ask you to evacuate, we don’t take that lightly,” said Mike McClintock, Battalion Chief with the San Bernardino Fire Department, in an interview with CNN. “We’re asking you based on predictions and concerns, and we want you to get out sooner rather than later.” 

McClintock said evacuation orders are meant to help residents escape areas that may face serious flooding, and that warnings should be heeded immediately. 

“The last thing we want you to do if we have significant rain is you try to leave last minute and then be overtaken by floodwaters,” he said.

A portion of Interstate 15 is closed in Barstow, California due to downed power lines, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans.)

Caltrans District 8 (San Bernardino/Riverside) spokesperson Eric Dionne said the interstate remains closed.  

Ventura County firefighters search the Santa Clara River on August 20.

Authorities in Ventura County conducted a search and rescue operation in the Santa Clara River Sunday evening after people became trapped.

Two people were rescued by walking out of the flooded areas, the Ventura County Fire Department PIO said in a social media post.

Videos show firefighters searching the river.

Most of Southern California remains under tropical storm warnings as Tropical Storm Hilary moves toward Los Angeles, where more than 9 million people are under flash flood warnings.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Dark clouds form over downtown San Diego as Tropical Storm Hilary passes through the area on Sunday, August 20.

Nine people were rescued from a riverbed near the Morena Blv bridge in San Diego, a social media post from San Diego Fire-Rescue said, as the impact of Tropical Storm Hilary is felt across Southern California

No injuries were reported.

The core of Tropical Storm Hilary is roughly 10 miles southeast of Los Angeles with winds of up to 45 miles per hour, according to analysis from CNN Weather.

The storm crossed the US-Mexico border into California several hours ago, becoming the first tropical storm in the state since Nora in 1997. 

Hilary is moving north-northwest at 28 mph and its tropical storm-force winds extend out 230 miles from the center of the storm.

Most of Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, remains under tropical storm warnings.

Intense rainfall up to 10 inches is possible across Southern California and Nevada through Monday morning, and rainfall up to 5 inches is possible across parts of Oregon and Idaho through Tuesday morning.

This rainfall could lead to catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.

Yellow tape marks a closed beach near the US-Mexico border as Tropical Storm Hilary approaches Playas de Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on August 20.

In Mexico: Hilary battered the Baja California peninsula on its way north, killing at least one person and causing major flooding in some areas.

Mexican authorities have lifted the tropical storm warning for the west coast of Baja California and the east coast of the peninsula south of San Felipe.

The warning has also been discontinued south of Puerto Penasco along the coast of mainland Mexico. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for San Felipe to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, the California/Mexico border to Point Mugu and Catalina Island.

A worker in a bulldozer moves sand in an attempt to prevent ocean water from flowing into the street, in Long Beach, California, on August 20.

Numerous preliminary daily rainfall records for August 20 were broken across southwestern California Sunday as the region feels the impact of Tropical Storm Hilary.

Here’s a rundown of rainfall across the state:

A police car blocks a washed out road as Tropical Storm Hilary heads north into Palm Springs, California, on August 20.

There have been at least three swift water rescues so far in Palm Springs, police department lieutenant Gustavo Araiza told CNN.  

The city earlier declared a local emergency due to “unprecedented rainfall and flooding” from Tropical Storm Hilary, with residents asked to stay home and avoid driving.

Though the storm is expected to weaken, it will continue lashing the region with severe weather as it moves further into the United States.

Remnants of Hurricane Fernanda are expected to impact the Hawaiian Islands in the next few days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu.

Locally heavy rainfall is expected on the northern and eastern side of the Big Island, with some showers expected on the eastern sides of Maui, Oahu and Kauai.

Even though the most recent forecast has shifted the bulk of the rainfall from the remnants of Fernanda south of the islands, 2 to 4 inches of rain will be possible over the eastern portion of the Big Island.

Isolated periods of heavy rain will be possible on Monday, which could lead to localized flooding on the Big Island.

On Maui, 1 to 2 inches of rain will be possible and will primarily be focused over east Maui.

The western areas of the island, which have been ravaged in recent weeks by deadly wildfires, will continue to remain mostly dry with a few light showers possible during Monday afternoon through the evening hours. Lahaina could see scattered showers Monday and Tuesday, with rainfall accumulations potentially reaching half an inch.

The Phoenix Fire Department announced Sunday they are sending resources to the city of Yuma to assist with the possibility of flooding as a result of rain from Tropical Storm Hilary.

A team of 16 water rescue specialists will be sent to the city, located about 185 miles southwest of Phoenix, at the request of the Arizona Department of Emergency Management Agency, the fire department said in a social media post.

Southwest Arizona, including portions of Yuma County and Yuma city, are under a flood watch until Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Phoenix.  

Tropical Storm Hilary’s center moved into Southern California Sunday evening, bringing strong rain, winds and the potential for catastrophic flooding to the region.

San Diego will face the storm before it moves on to the Los Angeles area, where more than 9 million people are under flash flood warnings.

In Palm Springs, City Manager Scott Stiles has declared a local emergency due to the storm, according to a tweet. Residents have been asked to stay home and avoid driving.

A pedestrian pushes a cart on a flooded street as Tropical Storm Hilary heads north near Palm Springs, California, on August 20.

Southern California has been feeling the storm’s effects since earlier in the day and the rainfall totals have begun to dangerously add up.

“We are not used to this level of precipitation, generally. Certainly not in the middle of summer,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told CNN’s Jim Acosta Sunday afternoon, saying he was worried about potential power outages from the wind as well as flooding. “We’re not built for this kind of rainfall.”

“With what we’re expecting, it may overwhelm us,” he added.

A vehicle drives through a flooded intersection as Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall in Palm Springs, California on August 20.

Though the storm is expected to weaken, it will continue lashing the region with severe weather as it moves further into the US.

One California official has warned Hilary could be among the most devastating storms to hit the state in recent years. In Arizona, authorities issued evacuation orders in parts of Lake Mead National Park urging residents to seek higher ground ahead of potential floods. And Nevada’s governor declared a state of emergency Sunday as the storm drew closer.

A road is washed out as Tropical Storm Hilary heads north into Palm Springs, California, on August 20.

More than than 1,000 flights within, into or out of the US have been canceled Sunday and more than 4,400 have been delayed. The three most-impacted airports are all in Hilary’s range: Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada, San Diego International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to flightaware.com.

A worker drags a caution tape after a tree fell on a street in Los Angeles on August 20.

Hilary weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm before it made landfall over the northern Baja California Peninsula early Sunday.

At least one death is already attributed to the storm. A person died when their vehicle was swept away near Santa Rosalía in Mexico, along the Baja California Peninsula, Mexican officials said in a news release Saturday.

People walk along Venice Beach in the rain in Los Angeles on August 20.

As strong rain and winds impact Southern California, fire department officials are pleading with the public to heed evacuation orders and stay off the road unless they are in danger. 

McClintock said evacuation orders are meant to help residents escape areas that may face serious flooding, and that warnings should be heeded immediately. 

“The last thing we want you to do if we have significant rain is you try to leave last minute and then be overtaken by floodwaters,” McClintock said.

Flash flood warning: San Bernardino County began issuing evacuation orders for some communities Saturday night, and late Sunday the National Weather Service (NWS) sent a mass alert to cell phone users in parts of the county advising the area was under a flash flood warning.  

San Bernardino County officials handed out more than 100,000 sandbags to residents in advance of the storm. McClintock said the department has now shifted from preparation mode to response mode, with a surge of first responders on alert to respond to calls for service. 

A car makes its way through a flooded street in a suburban area of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles on August 20.

Flash flooding is occurring in Los Angeles, according to the National Weather Service, which adds, “a DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODING SITUATION is developing from Point Mugu and Camarillo eastward through Thousand Oaks and Woodland Hills area and across the mountains of Los Angeles County.”

A flash flood warning is in effect for downtown Los Angeles and Los Angeles County until 3 a.m. PT (which is 6 a.m. ET) Monday, according to the weather service. This affects more 7 million people.

“In Spanish Hills, cars are stuck in flooded roads. Fire Department is conducting swift water rescues,” the weather service office in Los Angeles posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Some locations that could experience flash flooding include: Thousand Oaks, Malibu, Lake Los Angeles, Acton, Wrightwood, Burbank, Palmdale, Mount Wilson, Pasadena, North Hollywood, Griffith Park, Santa Clarita, Universal City, Van Nuys, Lancaster, Hollywood, Alhambra, Northridge, Downtown Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.

According to the weather service, more than a dozen sites in the area reported more than 1 inch of rain in the past two hours, as of 6:50 p.m. PT (9:50 p.m. ET).

“Between 1 and 4 (total) inches of rain have fallen, with 3 to 6 inches in the mountains. Additional 1 to 4 inches rainfall is possible in the warned area,” the weather service said.

The 5 p.m. PT update from the National Hurricane Center says heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Hilary is expected across the Southwestern United States through early Monday morning.

As Hilary made its trek to California, some tourists remained unbothered.

Larry Reninger and his wife, Patrice, got some water and non-perishable food from the single grocery store in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, a small island popular with tourists and cruise ships about 25 miles from the coast of Long Beach in Southern California.

The couple, who traveled from a suburb of Chicago to enjoy the sunshine, said they weren’t scared off by the storm and instead grabbed drinks to watch it roll in.

On Sunday, the couple, along with their daughter, Chrissy, and her husband, Joe Greskoviak, who are both from California, ventured around the mostly deserted island. Joe wore a trash bag as a poncho to keep dry in the rain. The group got drinks at one of the few restaurants still open.

Just 24 hours prior, the area was filled with tourists venturing into ice cream shops, art galleries and luau bars. Many appeared startled Saturday afternoon when an emergency alert from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department sounded on their phones, advising them to leave the island at their “earliest opportunity” due to the storm.

“The sheriff’s office told us to go and it spooked us,” said Brenna Vasquez, 27.

Vasquez and about a dozen other friends filled two beachside cabanas at the Descanso Beach Club for a bachelorette party on Saturday. Wearing mostly pink — and the bride in a white bathing suit — many in the group didn’t know about the storm when they arrived earlier in the week. They left Saturday to avoid any issues.

President Joe Biden delivers a speech in Salt Lake City on August 10.

President Joe Biden complimented the “extraordinary mutual aid system” at work in California as Tropical Storm Hilary drenches the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference in Los Angeles Sunday.

Newsom said Biden called him to discuss the storm, currently moving across Southern California.

Biden, who is scheduled to go to fire-devastated Maui on Monday, was briefed by Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell and senior White House staff on Sunday while he spent the weekend in Lake Tahoe, according to the White House pool statement.

At least 7,500 first responders are in place in California. They include 350 National Guard members, 3,900 California Highway Patrol employees and more than 2,000 Department of Transportation workers, Newsom said.

According to the White House statement, FEMA assets have been deployed to California, and the US Coast Guard has prepositioned assets for possible search-and-rescue missions.

Other federal personnel were sent to Nevada, according to the White House.