Local Emergency Proclaimed In RivCo Due To Tropical Storm Hilary

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The county of Riverside proclaimed a local emergency Monday because of the impacts of Tropical Storm Hilary.

The emergency proclamation could help make the county eligible for potential federal and state assistance, including funding for repairs to damaged areas. The proclamation also allows the county to quickly procure supplies needed for emergency response and repair.

Responders from fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency management departments, public works agencies and flood control departments were assessing the damage caused by the storm.

"Known damage at this point include a 911 outage in the Coachella Valley, flooding on the 10 Freeway, as well as in neighborhoods, business districts and roadways," according to a news release from the county.

Residents in the Coachella Valley were hit especially hard. Roads across the region, including Interstate 10, were closed.

Coachella Valley residents can call one of the numbers listed below for emergencies until 911 service is restored:

• Cathedral City 760-770-0303
• Desert Hot Springs 760-329-2904
• Indio 760-775-3730
• Palm Springs 760-327-1441
• Riverside Sheriff's Office 760-836-3220

The cities of Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Palm Springs are among Coachella Valley cities that proclaimed a local emergency.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a local emergency for 11 counties, including Riverside County.

The Riverside County emergency proclamation will go before the Board of Supervisors at its next regularly scheduled board meeting on Aug. 29 for ratification.

Tropical Storm Hilary moved out of Riverside County Monday, but the Coachella Valley flooding is expected to take a toll on local residents for days and weeks ahead.

The Palm Springs, Coachella Valley and Desert Sands unified school districts all canceled classes Monday. Only essential staff reported to work, to assess damage and perform necessary repairs, CVUSD officials said.

Mud inundated some streets in Cathedral City, and video from the scene showed multiple vehicles trapped in the muck, including at least one recreational vehicle. The mud also pushed against multiple homes, but the extent of damage to those homes was unclear. One family told ABC7 it got stranded in the mud and spent much of the night on top of a swamped vehicle until crews were able to bring the family to safety.

The California National Guard reported Monday morning that its 330th Military Police Company responded to Cathedral City and Palm Springs to aid the fire departments during rescue operations.

Nearby Palm Desert also reported an array of road closures due to flooding. Video from other cities in the area showed cars swamped with floodwater, but there were no immediate reports of injuries associated with the storm.

Due to the major road closures still in place throughout all Coachella Valley cities, the SunLine Transit Agency suspended its service indefinitely. It will continue to run life-sustaining service only, officials said.

The flooding left Coachella Valley cities scattered with trash and debris, and city officials Monday advised residents about delayed trash pick-ups, sandbag disposal, and hidden dangers in flood waters.

Palm Desert officials urged residents Monday morning to avoid walking, standing, or driving through flood waters, as it can hide dangers including toxins, chemicals, sharp objects, downed power lines, or collapsed roads. Many trees also came down or were damaged due to the storm, so city officials also asked residents to avoid parks and other landscaped areas as there's a continued possibility of falling branches and debris.

The cities of Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs announced Monday morning that, due to storm impacts, trash collections will be delayed by one day this week. Residents were asked to place their bins one day later than their standard pick-up day for collection.

Burrtec was running all routes in Cathedral City, Palm Desert and La Quinta, but avoided areas inaccessible to the trash trucks, according to the cities' officials, who added that trash pickups in those areas will be made once they're clear.

All College of the Desert sites were closed Monday due flooding at some of its campus facilities, the college announced on social media. Only maintenance and campus safety will be conducted at its sites.

Due to the heavy rain and flooding elsewhere in the region, an evacuation order was issued from around 9 a.m. Sunday to 11:41 Monday for the Mias zone in the Apple/El Dorado burn scar, north of Banning and near the Morongo Reservation, according to the Riverside County Emergency Management Department.

A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for Highland Springs, Beaumont, Hemet, Banning and Reche Canyon Road in Colton ahead of the storm, according to the EMD.

Most of Riverside County received between 1.5 and 4 inches of rain over the 48-hour storm period, with some notable exceptions. Mount San Jacinto reported 11.74 inches, according to the NWS. More than 3.8 inches fell in Palm Desert, 3.23 inches at Palm Springs International Airport and 5.75 inches in Morongo Valley.

On Sunday morning, the Federal Emergency Management Agency 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 was prepared to assist with any requests for federal assistance. Additional teams were on standby for deployment if necessary, officials said.

Care and reception centers were available at Desert Mirage High School at 86150 66th Ave. in Thermal, at the Banning Community Services Center at 789 N. San Gorgonio Ave., both open 24 hours.

Residents requiring help with their animals were encouraged to call the Riverside County Department of Animal Services at 951-358-7387.