Storm Tracker: Hurricane Hillary
NBC News
People fill sandbags in Long Beach
NBC News
San Diego County declares a state of emergency
Dennis Romero
SAN DIEGO – Top officials in San Diego County tonight declared a state of emergency ahead of the expected impacts of Hillary.
The declaration will allow the provincial government to access resources needed to respond to emergencies and damage associated with the storm.
The announcement came after Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency earlier today.
State beaches and state parks were closed ahead of the storm
Dennis Romero
California State Parks said today it has closed the state's beaches from the U.S.-Mexico border to Bolsa Chica near the southern Los Angeles County border as a precaution.
The beach was scheduled to be closed tomorrow and Monday, State Parks said in a statement.
In addition, state parks expected to be in Hillary's path, including Cuyamaca State Park, Ocotillo Wells Motor Vehicle Recreation Area and Anza Borrego Desert State Park, are also scheduled to close tomorrow and Monday, the department said.
Those inland locations, close to what were expected to be the hardest-hit communities — desert areas and inland mountain ranges — were the subject of flooding concerns, State Parks said.
Camping reservations at those sites have been canceled through Tuesday, they said. State Parks said current campers can stay as scheduled, but they have been warned of the dangers posed by Hillary.
“More park units may close without notice,” State Parks said in the statement. “The Department will continue to use a monitoring and adaptation strategy to protect the safety of its employees and the public.”
With the potential for rock slides and mudflows, parts of SoCal may be cut off
Dennis Romero
Supplies to parts of Southern California and first responders could be cut off as rock slides and mudflows from Tropical Cyclone Hillary are expected on Sunday, according to an analysis by NBC News' Weather and Climate Unit.
Meteorologists said that the inland and desert communities that witness the highest rainfall will be vulnerable to these rockslides and mudflows.
Debris from such accidents can block roads for hours and even days.
As Hillary moves across the US-Mexico border tomorrow, the worst winds and rain appear to be targeting inland areas, including mountains and deserts, as well as parts of Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Mountains stretching from the border to the San Bernardino Range, as well as desert cities like Palm Springs and Coachella, were under a flood watch through Monday, the National Weather Service said. Flash flooding was possible.
NBC News meteorologists said Palm Springs could see up to 6 inches of rain on Sunday. As the storm moves north, heavy rain and stronger winds Sunday night will target parts of Nevada, western Utah and Idaho.
Hillary weakens to a Category 1 hurricane
Dennis Romero
Hillary continued to lose muscle as the storm headed toward Southern California on Saturday night, weakening from a Category 2 to a Category 1, according to the latest National Hurricane Center data.
The storm's strongest winds were last measured at 90 mph, and it was classified as a Category 1 tropical cyclone down to Category 4 tropical cyclone strength in less than a day.
However, federal forecasters expect the northward-moving storm to continue as a hurricane as it approaches the west coast of Baja California overnight before weakening again and becoming a tropical storm before reaching the United States.
The Hurricane Center said the Mexican government had canceled its tropical storm warnings for the southern tip of Baja California Sur state.
The storm was 535 miles southeast of San Diego.
A San Diego County mobile alert urges drivers to stay off the roads
Dennis Romero
SAN DIEGO — San Diego County officials sent an emergency radio alert to cell phones tonight urging motorists to stay off the roads if possible as Hillary approaches.
The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services' Office of Public Safety warned that “dangerous flash flooding and strong winds are expected” and urged motorists to stay off the roads “unless they absolutely must.”
Potential risks include flooded roads, downed power lines, and rapidly rising water levels along streams, rivers and other waterways, all of which should be avoided, the alert said.
Hillary's center is expected to reach Southern California tomorrow afternoon.
Medano Beach in Baja California, Mexico
San Bernardino County authorities order evacuation
Dennis Romero
Evacuations were ordered last night for the San Bernardino Mountain area and the foothills that are expected to be in Hillary's path.
The county sheriff's department has named the communities of Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks and Northeast Yucaipa as being subject to mandatory evacuations.
No time period has been set for the evacuations. Hillary's center was expected to be in Southern California tomorrow afternoon.
Desert and mountain communities, including the Santa Rosa Mountain Range to the south, are expected to experience some of the heaviest winds and rain from the storm. Up to 10 inches of rain could fall in the Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Springs within 24 hours starting tomorrow, according to the NBC News Climate and Weather Unit.
A voluntary evacuation warning has been issued for the Bond Fire burn area
Lindsay is good
Voluntary evacuation warnings were issued for parts of the area burned in the Pond Fire in 2020.
Concern about the potential for debris flow along or near the burn scar led to an evacuation warning being issued for Silverado Valley and Williams, according to the Orange County Police Department.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the county, including the burn scar area, until late tomorrow.
Evacuations were in effect today at 4:30 PM PT and will continue through early Monday.
A map of the affected areas can be seen on the Orange County Police Department website.
