Southland residents were asked to remain indoors Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary took aim at Southern California, with heavy rainfall and potentially life-threatening floods expected in the later part of the day.
With Southern California under a tropical storm watch for the first time in its history, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a State of Emergency, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did likewise and activated the city’s Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 — one level short of the most critical status.
“Over the past few days, the city family has been working around the clock to prepare for the storm, and we are just beginning to see it hit Los Angeles,” Bass said at a Sunday morning briefing. “Our message today is clear: Stay safe, stay home and stay informed. This is an unprecedented weather event, but Los Angeles has deep experience responding to crisis, whether it be wildfire or earthquakes. The city is prepared,” Bass said
“.. .Our primary mission of course is to protect the life and property of Angelenos. Second, we need to keep our city workers safe. Third, we must ensure that city services are operating as best as possible given the circumstances.”
Hilary weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm off the coast of Baja California early Sunday, but it was still expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and likely dangerous flooding to some areas, particularly the mountains and the Antelope Valley.
The storm was expected to make landfall near San Diego early Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service warned of “potentially historic amounts of rainfall” that was “expected to cause life-threatening to locally catastrophic flash, urban and arroyo flooding including landslides, mudslides, and debris flows through early Monday morning.”
A flash flood warning was also issued until 7:45 p.m. Sunday for Long Beach, Malibu, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Universal City, downtown Los Angeles, Griffith Park, Culver City, Inglewood, Burbank, North Hollywood, Venice, Santa Monica, Van Nuys, Encino, Manhattan Beach, Alhambra and Hermosa Beach.
Southland residents were especially urged to avoid driving, hiking or going to the beach during the storm.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, the city’s incident commander for the storm, said 1.5 to 3 inches of rain was forecast for the Los Angeles area, along with winds of 20 to 30 mph. The Antelope Valley and San Gabriel Mountain areas, outside Los Angeles city limits, were expected to get the brunt of the storm, with 3 to 7 inches of rain and stronger winds, Crowley said.
Flash flooding and coastal flooding and dangerous rip tides were also expected, and public health officials warned people to stay out of the ocean for at least 72 hours after the storm. An Ocean Water Quality Rain Advisory was declared for all Los Angeles County beaches until at least until 9 a.m. Thursday, and could be extended depending on further rainfall.
The storm is expected to remain in the Southland through Monday morning, likely clearing out by early afternoon, with scattered thunderstorms possible Tuesday.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said an announcement would be made at 4 p.m. Sunday about whether to cancel classes Monday.
Los Angeles opened several emergency shelters for the homeless. For those who cannot move, storm provisions including tarps and emergency blankets were being provided.
Officials said the city was providing nearly 400 units of emergency temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness through the storm. Five shelters opened Saturday in high-risk areas near waterways and potential flood zones.
Three additional shelters were opening Sunday, and the city was offering transportation to shelters as a part of outreach efforts.
Angelenos who go into emergency shelters may bring their pets and personal belongings.
The temporary emergency shelters are at the following locations:
— Echo Park Community Center 313 Patton St.;
— North Hollywood Senior Center 5301 Tujunga Ave.;
— Lake View Terrace Recreation Center 11075 Foothill Blvd.
— Central Park Recreation Center 1357 E. 22nd St.;
— Stoner Recreation Center 1835 Stoner Ave.;
— Lanark Recreation Center 21816 Lanark St., Canoga Park;
— South L.A. Sports Activity Center 7020 S. Figueroa St.;
— Glassell Park Recreation Center 3650 Verdugo Road.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said a County Emergency Operation Center would be established Sunday to manage department resources. Luna said the department was working with its homeless outreach partners, including the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and Union Station, to connect the unhoused with temporary housing resources.
During the storm, Luna said patrol units will drive along the roadways at the top of riverbeds to urge anyone living in the areas to leave and seek safer conditions.
State and local officials said extra resources were in place, and utilities were also fully staffed to deal with any power outage or other emergencies.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was coordinating with California officials to provide support as needed. FEMA pre-positioned supplies at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, and a FEMA Incident Management Assistance Team deployed to the California Office of Emergency Services and is prepared to assist with any requests for federal assistance. Additional teams were on standby for deployment if necessary, officials said.
California’s National Guard contingent has also “strategically pre-positioned resources throughout Southern California” as part of the statewide effort to prepare for the storm, officials said Saturday.
Cal OES, through the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, has deployed a total of more than 700 local government firefighters and support staff, as well as 15 Swift Water Rescue teams, two Urban Search and Rescue companies and three Regional Urban Search and Rescue task forces.
Orange County also closed all recreational facilities, trails, campgrounds, beaches and libraries. The county activated and staffed its Emergency Operations Center at 8 a.m. Sunday. Officials said “all resources and support personnel have been identified and are on standby ready to mobilize when needed.”
Pasadena opened an emergency shelter at 9 a.m. Sunday at Villa Parke Community Center, 363 E Villa St.
The Department of Water and Power has restoration crews fully staffed and ready to respond to any power outages. In the event of power outages or water main breakages, DWP customers can call 800-DIAL-DWP (342-5397).
Streets L.A., L.A. Sanitation and the Department of Transportation were taking steps to ensure roads are operational.
Animal shelters and specialized rescue teams are ready to respond to evacuations or rescue in the event of such incidents in the city.
Los Angeles County officials said all county parks, buildings and facilities would be closed Sunday and Monday, including, but not limited to:
— Picnic shelters;
— Playgrounds;
— Multi-use trails;
— Restrooms;
— Botanical gardens and arboretums;
— Lakes and swim beaches;
— Pools and aquatic centers
— Natural areas and nature centers
— Performance venues.
While the parks are not fenced in, visitors are encouraged to stay home.
Many other facilities were closed across the Southland on Sunday, including Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm, and several activities such as outdoor concerts were postponed.
Coastal areas will also be dealing with high surf that could create some flooding concerns in beach communities. Forecasters said surf of 4 to 7 feet is possible at southeast- and south-facing beaches, along with strong rip currents — with Catalina Island “most vulnerable” to the strong swells.
Many beach cities were scrambling to prepare for the high surf. From Long Beach to Orange County, cities deployed bulldozers to build berms on beaches to protect coastal properties, and sandbags were being provided for residents to protect their properties.
Long Beach closed all city-run parks, trails and sports facilities for recreational use as well as beach parking lots at noon Sunday. Officials said the closures would continue through at least noon Monday.
Long Beach Transit will suspend bus service at 6 p.m. Sunday, with service expected to resume at 6 a.m. Monday.
With Catalina Island residents advised to leave the island as a precaution, Long Beach also announced plans to open a temporary shelter to support those needing a place to go. The emergency shelter is located at Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St., and will provide necessities including food, water and beds, as well as basic medical services.
Huntington Beach officials urged residents to secure outdoor items such as furniture and umbrellas and be prepared for possible power outages by keeping cell phones and other devices charged.
Sandbags were also available at many Orange County Fire Authority stations throughout the area. A full list is available at ocfa.org.
Officials at LAX, Hollywood/Burbank Airport, Long Beach Airport and Orange County’s John Wayne Airport advised travelers to check with their airlines for possible flight delays or cancellations.
The delivery service DoorDash suspended operations in much of Southern California including Los Angeles County due to safety concerns. Operations were expected to resume at 11 a.m. Monday.
Hurricane safety tips and resources can viewed at noaa.gov/hurricane-prep.
A tropical storm has not made landfall in California since 1939.
Adding to the mix, a strong earthquake centered in Ventura County shook most of Southern California on Sunday.
The magnitude-5.1 temblor struck at 2:41 p.m., about 4 miles southeast of Ojai, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was quickly followed by a series of aftershocks, the largest of them measuring a magnitude of 3.6.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The Los Angeles Fire Department went into “earthquake mode” after the shaker, with crews dispatched to conduct inspections of all major infrastructure, such as bridges, apartment buildings, power lines and places where large numbers of people typically gather.
The National Weather Service said there was not expected to be any threat of a tsunami due to the quake.