Hurricane Hilary is causing flash flooding and a tornado warning in southern California, United States (US). The National Hurricane Center warned of heavy rain and strong winds from Mexico to Nevada.
At the same time, Los Angeles was also hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1. The earthquake caused no reported damage or casualties. But added to the chaos when the state faced Hurricane Hilary on Sunday (20/8).
Hurricane Hilary has decreased in strength and is now a tropical storm that has already hit San Diego County, before making its way further into California and Los Angeles. Palm Springs, a vacation spot in Riverside County about 160 km east of Los Angeles and which has been one of the hottest parts of California is changing with more flooding points.
The city of 45,000 people normally gets about 4.6 inches of rain a year, but is now receiving 6-10 inches from the storm. Floodwaters also flow through the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River, which are usually dry.
This storm dumped heavy rainfall across much of the drier southwestern US. The storm caused heavy rains and flooding and killed one person in Mexico. At least nine million people are under a flash flood warning in California.
The weather service issued a tornado warning Sunday (20/8) afternoon, for the central area of San Diego. Southern California was also hit by a quake Sunday afternoon with an initial magnitude of 5.1 near Ojai, about 130 kilometers northwest of downtown Los Angeles, according to the US Geological Survey.
It was felt widely and was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries, according to an operator at the Ventura County sheriff’s office.
