Southern California begins cleaning up after 1st tropical storm in 8 decades

Geoff Bennett Geoff Bennett

Eliot Barnhart Eliot Barnhart

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Southern California has been battered by historic rainfall, floods and mudslides in the latest in a string of disasters wreaking havoc across the country. So far, there are no reports of major damage or injuries linked to Tropical Storm Hilary. As the system barrels north, some 17 million people are under flood and high-wind advisories, watches and warnings. Geoff Bennett reports.

Amna Nawaz:

Southern California has been battered by historic rainfall, floods, and mudslides, the latest in a string of disasters wreaking havoc across the country. But, so far, there are no reports of major damage or injuries.

Geoff Bennett:

Adding to the anxiety, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake rattled an area north of Los Angeles Sunday.

But it was not linked to Tropical Storm Hilary. As the storm now barrels north, some 17 million people are under flood and high wind advisories, watches, and warnings.

As the sun rose over Southern California today, residents woke up to an extremely rare sight, floodwaters rushing through their desert paradise. Over the weekend, Hilary became the first tropical storm to make landfall in the southern part of the state in more than 80 years, dumping half-a-season's worth of rain in the worst-hit areas.

Scientists say that extreme weather events like this are exacerbated and occurring more frequently due in part to climate change.

D.J. Hilton, Cathedral City, California, Resident:

It is a bit unprecedented. We've had storms before, but never anything quite this windy and rainy at the same time.

Geoff Bennett:

This morning, weather officials downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical storm. And, in all, the damage wasn't as bad as some forecasters feared.

Still, it battered Baja California in Mexico, where several homes collapsed and one person drowned. When it arrived on U.S. coastlines, it brought chaos to an area where droughts are far more common than this type of deluge. School districts in San Diego and Los Angeles shut down today.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city remains on high alert.

Karen Bass (D), Mayor of Los Angeles, California: It's not to say many Angelenos have been — not been impacted by the storm, whether they woke up without power or were unable to get through streets due to flooding and mudslides. As you know, sometimes, damage can occur in the hours and days after a storm hits.

Geoff Bennett:

The rain has saturated California's inland deserts and valleys. Palm Springs, a popular resort town, declared a state of emergency, as cars and pedestrians trudged through standing water.

The storm knocked out the city's 911 system. Elsewhere, mud and debris blanketed roadways. Landslides caused some to collapse entirely.

Juan Fejfar, Victorville, California, Resident:

If this road floods, there is no way in or out.

Geoff Bennett:

Residents in Victorville feared for their homes, as the water levels rose seemingly out of nowhere.

Juan Fejfar:

All that started within an hour or two, and then just kept piling up, up, and the water keeps coming further back up the street, and just more and more.

Geoff Bennett:

As the skies in Southern California begin to clear, Hilary is projected to keep weakening as it pushes northward into Nevada.

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Geoff Bennett Geoff Bennett

Geoff Bennett serves as co-anchor of PBS NewsHour. He also serves as an NBC News and MSNBC political contributor.

Eliot Barnhart Eliot Barnhart

Eliot Barnhart is an associate producer at the PBS NewsHour.