Tropical Storm Franklin makes landfall with major flood threats to Dominican Republic and Haiti

Tropical Storm Franklin brings torrential rain to Dominican Republic and Haiti on Wednesday

Crews work to clear mud and debris from California roads after Storm Hilary

Tropical Storm Franklin was moving inland from the southern coast of the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, bringing torrential rains to the country and neighboring Haiti.

Tropical Storm Harold, which had formed only hours before Franklin, was downgraded to a depression after making landfall in south Texas on Tuesday. The system has since crossed into northern Mexico where it was threatening the region with heavy rains.

The cyclones, which scientists say are being supercharged by the impacts of the climate crisis, are part of a record-breaking pattern unfolding in the Atlantic.

Aside from Harold and Franklin, two other systems formed in the Atlantic - Emily and Gert - in 39 hours, making it the fastest time on record for four named Atlantic storm formations, according to Philip Klotzbach, a Colorado State University Meteorologist.

This weekend, Tropical Storm Hilary wreaked havoc across Mexico, California and Nevada. Hilary, which caused one death in Mexico, was the first tropical storm to hit California in almost a century and deluged cities including Los Angeles and San Diego, leading to widespread flooding and mudslides.

Key points

• Storm Hilary brings a year’s worth of rain to Death Valley
• Storm Hilary to batter Oregon and Idaho after flooding California
• Texas braces for flooding as Tropical Storm Harold barrels towards state
• Rescuers drive bulldozer through mud to reach senior citizens stuck in California care home

[21 August 2023 12:40 · Rachel Sharp]

65,000 without power in California

Around 65,000 homes are currently dealing with power outages across California as the southern parts of the state are hammered by extreme weather, according to Poweroutage.US.

As of 3am local time, 65,009 of the 14.8 million customers tracked across the state were without power.

San Diego Gas & Electric said that thousands of its customers had been impacted

“Tropical Storm Hilary has brought heavy rain and high winds to our region. Multiple SDG&E crews are working through the night to restore power to affected customers,” the company said on its website.

People were urged to stay away from any downed power lines.

[21 August 2023 13:01 · Josh Marcus]

WATCH: Heavy flows from Tropical Storm Hilary outside of Los Angeles

Tropical Storm Hilary causing flooding and waterways full of debris throughout the Los Angeles area.

AccuWeather captured this clip of a log-filled, muddy stream surge in Sheep Canyon, northeast of Los Angeles.

[21 August 2023 13:20 · Rachel Sharp]

More than dozen people rescued from San Diego riverbed

More than a dozen people had to be rescued from a San Diego riverbed on Sunday night as extreme flooding pummeled the area.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responded to a call for up top 20 peopel stuck in the river near the Morena Boulevard Bridge in Mission Valley.

A rescue mission was launched with officials finding 14 people stranded on an island of the river.

Emergency services managed to rescue all 14 people, with two of them being treated for injuries.

[21 August 2023 13:40 · Gustaf Kilander]

VIDEO: Hilary crumbles road in Santa Clarita

[21 August 2023 14:00 · AP]

Southern California braces for more floods as tropical storm soaks region from coast to desert

Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to inland mountains and deserts Sunday evening, prompting rescues from swollen rivers and forcing some of the nation’s largest school districts to cancel Monday classes. Millions braced for more flooding and mudslides, even as the storm began to weaken.

The first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary brought intensifying rain to the region, with some mountain and desert areas seeing more than half an average year’s worth of rain come down in just one day, including the desert resort city of Palm Springs, which saw nearly 3 inches of rain by Sunday evening.

Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and fire officials rescued a dozen people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water. Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

Read more:

[21 August 2023 14:20 · Billal Rahman]

VIDEO: Tropical Storm Hilary making landfall in Baja California captured on satellite footage

[21 August 2023 14:40 · Joe Sommerlad]

Mapped: The path of Tropical Storm Hilary bringing heavy rain and floods to California, Nevada and Mexico

Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to drive north through southern California into Nevada over the course of Monday having already brought heavy rain and flooding to the desert region, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers.

Although Hilary has weakened from hurricane status, millions expect more flooding and mudslides to come.

The Pacific front had drifted north along the coast of Mexico’s arid Baja California Peninsula before it made landfall on Sunday in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada.

One person drowned in Mugele when their vehicle was swept away and the Mexican military had to step in with bulldozers and dump trucks to help clear tonnes of boulders and earth that clogged streets and roads, as well as downed power lines.

The storm then moved through mudslide-prone Tijuana, threatening the improvised homes that cling to hillsides just south of the US border.

[21 August 2023 15:00 · Joe Sommerlad]

Hilary has already dropped more than half an average year’s worth of rain

The first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years, Hilary has already dropped more than half an average year’s worth of rain on some areas, including the desert resort of Palm Springs, which had seen nearly 7.6 centimetres of rain by Sunday evening.

Forecasters warned of dangerous flash floods across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and fire officials rescued 13 people from knee-deep water in a homeless encampment along the rising San Diego River. Meanwhile, rain and debris washed out some roadways and people left their cars stranded in standing water.

Crews pumped floodwaters out of the emergency room at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest school system, said all campuses would be closed on Monday, as did districts across the region, while the Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement on Sunday that 911 lines were down and that in the event of an emergency to text 911 or reach out to the nearest police or fire station.

Tropical Storm Hilary is projected to weaken as it continues moving northward over California and into Nevada, but Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said “very heavy” rain and strong winds are still likely.

[21 August 2023 15:30 · Gustaf Kilander]

More than dozen people rescued from San Diego riverbed as Hilary brings flooding to California

As many as 14 people have been rescued from a riverbed in San Diego in southern California as storm Hilary brought massive flooding to the area.

The rescue took place on Sunday night in the area near the Morena Boulevard Bridge in Mission Valley, according to NBC 7.

Firefighters and lifeguards responded to a call reporting that about 20 people were stuck in the river, San Diego Fire-Rescue said.

[21 August 2023 16:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

Three cruise lines adjust their schedules to avoid strom

Three cruise lines operating out of Southern California have adjusted their schedules to accommodate tropical storm Hilary.

Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean have both shifted the schedule of the Emerald Princess and the Navigator of the Seas, according to CruiseRadio.net.

Carnival Panorama, operated by Carnival Cruise Line, will not make its scheduled stop in Mazatlan, Mexico.

In a letter to guests, Carnival Cruise Line said that “Our Fleet Operations Center continues to monitor Hurricane Hilary. Due to the projected path of the cruise, we have modified the itinerary for your cruise. Unfortunately, we have to cancel our call to Mazatlan”.

Royal Caribbean told guests: “Along with our Chief Meteorologist, we’ve been closely monitoring adverse weather due to Hurricane Hilary. To maintain a safe and comfortable journey, we’ll now visit Ensenada, Mexico on Saturday evening, August 19, arriving at 7 p.m. and staying until midnight.”

Meanwhile, Princess Cruises noted that “as a result of Hurricane Hilary, and as the safety of our guests and crew remain our highest priority, Emerald Princess has adjusted her itinerary. She will arrive in Ensenada on Saturday, August 19 for a service only call, guests will not be able to go ashore. Emerald Princess will then head directly for Los Angeles arriving one day early on Sunday, August 20. Guests can decide to depart the ship on Sunday or remain onboard until the morning of Monday, August 21”.