Shocking before and after images have revealed widespread devastation on the West Coast after Tropical Storm Hilary swept through California and Nevada.
Multiple rescue missions were launched in affected areas as the fierce storms on Monday toppled trees, flooded roads and left residents stranded by mudslides and newly formed waterways.
In Culver City, California, the Flood caused a deep waterway in the Ballona Creek to overflow, while the metro was pummeled by more than 3 inches (9.5 cm) of rain. As the storms stretched into Nevada, dramatic images showed the normally burnt-out desert in Death Valley marked by mudslides and rivers after it was hit by a year of rain in less than 24 hours.
Satellite images captured a devastated street in Cathedral City, California, where a massive mudslide had nearly reached rows of homes. For a time, the subway was at the storm’s epicenter, and officials say the cleanup effort could take days.
CULVER CITY, CA: The Flood was marked by virtually unprecedented rainfall, flooding Ballona Creek (pictured) and causing widespread travel chaos
DEATH VALLEY, VEVADA: Death Valley received a year’s worth of rain in a 24-hour period as rivers flowed through the normally burnt-out desert
CATHEDRAL CITY, CA: A state of emergency has been declared in California after the West Coast was hit by Storm Hilary, which caused severe devastation
As it moved toward Death Valley, the sparse roads and highways were dramatically altered by the storms. In a section of Indian Canyon Road near California’s Desert Hot Springs, the storm made the road completely impassable.
Further inland, thunderstorms and further heavy downpours are expected on Tuesday as much of California’s southwest coast is devastated and officials scramble to provide relief for stranded residents.
In Los Angeles, the MLB game between the LA Dodgers and the Miami Marlins had to be moved because of the storms. The movement was captured ominously in one image showing dark clouds rolling toward Dodger Stadium, and another that showed the facility surrounded by a moat.
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA: Part of Indian Canyon Road lies destroyed by a flash flood in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary
LOS ANGELES, CA: The LA Dodgers were forced to reschedule their game against the Miami Marlins on Sunday as a moat formed around the team’s stadium
CATHEDRAL CITY, CA: Cars were left stranded on flooded roads and residents were told not to travel as the storm wreaked havoc in southwestern California
CATHEDRAL CITY, CA: The flood resulted in massive mudslides, flash floods and travel chaos, warning more than 40 million people on the West Coast about flooding on Monday
The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary initially slammed into Mexico’s arid Baja California peninsula as a hurricane, killing at least one and causing widespread flooding before becoming a tropical storm.
When Hilary made landfall late Sunday night, it was one of several crises to hit California, as the tropical storm, which also brought tornado warnings, was accompanied by wildfires and a moderate earthquake in Los Angeles.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm lost momentum Monday as it moved inland toward the Rocky Mountains, but warned that “continued life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” was expected over parts of the Southwest.
Forecasters say the threat of flooding will extend north, reaching parts of Oregon and Idaho.
About 40 million people received several flood warnings when California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Monday, and crews in the affected states were deployed to clear mudslides from highways, cut down trees and help stranded people.
On Tuesday, the number of people under severe weather warnings stood at about one million, while Texas residents were warned to brace themselves for separate Storm Harold as it could make landfall Tuesday night.
CATHEDRAL CITY, CA: Torrential rain sweeps through a homeless camp in Cathedral City, California (pictured), partially flooding vehicles, trash and scattered belongings
A large branch of the eucalyptus tree rests on cars after falling overnight as Tropical Storm Hilary passed through the area in Sun Valley, California on August 21, 2023
LA QUINTA, CA: The Flood created new high-current waterways, with the Whitewater River flowing over a highway near La Quinta High School (photo)
Palm Springs Mayor Grace Elena Garner warned residents Monday that they were “lost access to or from” the flooded subway, as some stranded locals reported phone lines were also down.
In the San Bernardino Mountains, officials said rescue teams were clearing a massive mudslide after it blocked the homes of about 800 residents. Boiling water orders were also issued for about 400 households in Mount Charleston, Nevada, where the only way in and out had been washed away.
Hilary broke daily rainfall records in San Diego and probably dumped the equivalent of an entire year in Death Valley National Park, shutting the region down indefinitely.
The flood also left about 400 people in Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs until the roads could be made passable, park officials said.
In September 1939, a tropical storm swept across California for the last time, tearing up train tracks, tearing houses from their foundations, and capsizing many boats. Nearly 100 people were killed on land and at sea.
THOUSANDS OF PALMS, CA: Thousands of West Coast residents stranded after streets and highways washed away by the storms
CARTHEDRAL CITY, CA: Rescue teams are deployed to affected areas as a maintenance vehicle clears a path through a flooded street on Aug. 21, 2023
CATHEDRAL CITY, CA: An aerial view of stranded vehicles along a flooded street on August 21, 2023
Cars completely submerged next to palm trees blowing in the wind in Southern California as Hilary took its toll over the weekend
SAN DIEGO, CA: A television reporter stands on a flooded road Monday after the passage of Tropical Storm Hilary
INDIO, CA: In an aerial photo, a Jeep remains stuck in the mud of a road that was hit by flash flooding Monday in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary
As the storm awoke Sunday night in Cathedral City, California, some residents awoke to find themselves trapped as the storm left huge mudslides across the area.
Residents of the town immediately south of Palm Springs experienced a “debris flow” that dumped significant amounts of mud and sand in front of some of their homes.
The heavy rainfall caused fast-flowing rivers to flow over highways and streets, halting construction work on a bridge outside of California’s La Quinta High School.
More than five hours into Nevada, the National Guard began evacuations at Lee Canyon Ski Resort as roads around the mountain were washed away.
Hilary became the first ever tropical storm to hit Nevada, crossing state lines around 5 a.m. ET on Monday. It is predicted to reach Idaho and Oregon and to reach Montana by the end of Tuesday.
The travel chaos also hit the West Coast on Monday, with flights canceled at San Diego International Airport, Harry Reid in Nevada and Sky Harbor in Phoenix.
Hilary is expected to clear through Tuesday, though moisture from the storm is expected to persist into Wednesday and Thursday in some parts.
Many airlines waived change fees for flights scheduled through Monday to or from Los Cabos and a handful of airports in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.
The storm is currently downgraded to a post-tropical storm, though experts continue to warn that Hilary will experience heavy rain and strong winds throughout the week.