Hilary updates: Over 1 foot of rain hits San Bernardino as LA avoids catastrophe

Hilary soaked Southern California, flooding roads and knocking out power.

Last Updated: August 21, 2023, 2:14 PM EDT

All tropical storm warnings have been canceled across Southern California as the remnants of Hilary, which no longer meet the threshold of a tropical cyclone, track north.

Once a Category 4 hurricane, Hilary tore through Southern California with historic rainfall on Sunday, flooding roads and knocking out power.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Aug 20, 2023, 6:04 PM EDT

5.1 Earthquake rocks Southern California as heavy rains continue to fall

As the Southland battles heavy rain and continues preparations for the heart of the storm to make its way up through California, there was a 5.1 earthquake, per the U.S. Geological Society. The earthquake was centered near Ojai, and was followed by several smaller aftershocks.

Heavy equipment moves sand to create barriers at Belmont Shore Beach as tropical storm Hilary approaches, Aug. 20, 2023 in Long Beach, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Aug 20, 2023, 5:29 PM EDT

All Southwest and Frontier airline flights suspended out of Ontario, California, airport

Ontario International Airport has suspended all Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines flights from Sunday at noon until Monday as Tropical Storm Hilary has begun to impact the West Coast, the airport said on social media.

Southwest Airlines has canceled 715 flights, the most flights of all U.S. airlines, according to FlightAware.

Frontier canceled 71 flights, according to FlightAware data.

A person wearing a yellow rain coat walks at the port in Ensenada as Tropical Storm Hilary hits Baja California state, Mexico, Aug. 20, 2023.
Jorge Duenes/Reuters
Aug 20, 2023, 3:51 PM EDT

Latest maps show path of storm over the Southwest

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for parts of Southern California as the region begins to experience the effects of Tropical Storm Hilary.

Los Angeles County, including downtown Los Angeles, and Ventura County were included in the advisory.

Heavy rain is now becoming more widespread across portions of the region. The heaviest rain is focused over much of the Interstate 5 corridor, north of San Diego into Los Angeles.

PHOTO: A rare High Risk(highest risk level, 4 out of 4) for excessive rainfall was issued by NOAA's Weather Prediction Center for today and currently remains in effect across a large swath of southern CA, from Palm Springs up towards San Bernardino
A rare High Risk(highest risk level, 4 out of 4) for excessive rainfall was issued by NOAA's Weather Prediction Center for today and currently remains in effect across a large swath of southern CA, from Palm Springs up towards San Bernardino, and up to Death Valley.
ABC News

Rainfall rates up to 1 inch per hour are possible in this area, and flash flooding will likely develop, forecasts show.

Rounds of heavy rain are expected to continue to sweep across the greater Los Angeles metro area through the next several hours.

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for portions of southern CA, including San Diego, Palm Springs, Riverside, and Los Angeles.
ABC News

Hilary will then move northward over the next 24 hours. As the system moves over land, it will weaken and become disorganized but could remain a tropical storm as it tracks across Southern California.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for San Diego, Palm Springs, Riverside and Los Angeles.

Flood watches remain across a large swath of the Southwest, including cities like San Diego, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas. These watches have also been extended northward up to Idaho for the potential for heavy rain and flash flooding early in the week.

Hilary will continue to sweep northward over the next 24 hours, continue to weaken and become more disorganized.
ABC News

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Prediction Center has issued a high risk alert for excessive rainfall across Southern, California, from Palm Springs to San Bernardino and up to Death Valley. "High Risk" days are rare and typically dangerous -- 39% of all flood-related fatalities and 83% of all flood-related damages in the U.S. occur on "High Risk" days, records show.

A moderate risk alert for extreme rainfall is in effect from Las Vegas to San Diego and Los Angeles.

Hilary made landfall over the northern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico as a tropical storm around 2 p.m. ET this afternoon.
ABC News

The biggest rainfall totals will be across the mountains east of San Diego, north and east of Los Angeles. Through Monday, a widespread 1 to 3 inches of rain is forecast across much of Southern California, the desert Southwest and across southern Nevada.

The biggest rainfall totals will be across the mountains east of San Diego, north and east of Los Angeles with also scattered very heavy rain in some of the desert areas.
ABC News

Three to 6 inches or more of rain is forecast across the mountains areas in Southern California. Several inches could still fall in some desert locations, with the greatest chance closer to Death Valley. Isolated amounts of 6 to 10 inches are still possible in some regions.

One to 2 inches of rainfall quickly falling in a desert location can cause major impacts due to the oversaturated soil.

-ABC News' Daniel Peck

Aug 20, 2023, 2:18 PM EDT

Hilary makes landfall in Baja California, Mexico

Tropical Storm Hilary has made landfall just south of the U.S. border.

The storm system moved over the northern Baja California peninsula in Mexico at about 11 a.m. PT, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory.

People walk in the rain along the Pacific Ocean with Tropical Storm Hilary approaching in San Diego County, Aug. 20, 2023 in Imperial Beach, Calif.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Hilary is currently located aout 215 miles south-southeast of San Diego and is moving north-northwest at 25 mph.

Maximum sustained winds have weakened to 65 mph.

The storm is expected to move through Southern California on Sunday afternoon, bringing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding over portions of the Southwest through Monday.

-ABC News' Dan Peck

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