Hit Hard By Hilary, Cathedral City Digging Out Of Mud, Water, Debris

CATHEDRAL CITY, CA — Cathedral City officials Tuesday were working to clear mud from roadways and improve restricted access to residents who are unable to leave their homes or neighborhoods due to flooding from Tropical Storm Hilary.

"Our focus today is clearing the roads and improving access for our residents to be able to come and go from their homes," Mayor Rita Lamb said. "I've been so inspired by this community's ability to come together during this unprecedented tropical storm, and I assure you that our staff is working aggressively in its response to cleanup and recovery efforts."

Crews with the city's public works, police and fire departments along with supporting agencies progressed into the recovery stage of storm response Tuesday as they continued responding to areas impacted by flooding, according to Cathedral City Communications & Events Manager Ryan Hunt.

Tuesday's cleanup efforts include cleaning northbound lanes of Date Palm Drive with a goal to have all three lanes cleaned, swept and opened by Wednesday afternoon, Hunt said. Crews will also work on Avenida La Vista from Los Gatos to Adelina Road, Adelina Road from Horizon Road to Date Palm, Panorama Road to Horizon Road and Horizon Road to Vista Chino.

Road closures still in place in Cathedral City are:
— Vista Chino between Date Palm Drive and Avenida Maravilla.
— Date Palm Drive between Vista Chino and 30th Avenue.
— Vista Chino at the wash.
— Los Gatos Road at Date Palm Drive.

Hunt added that the city's fire department has rescued 58 residents during the storm, including 14 residents who were trapped inside a senior care boarding facility along Horizon Drive and Adelina Road.

Through the help of community partners including the Riverside County Fire Department, which provided a bulldozer, and Burrtec, which provided an earthmover, the 14 individuals were rescued, Cathedral City Fire Chief Michael Contreras said Monday afternoon, adding that the department had to simultaneously work with a gas company to mitigate the potential for fire due to two active gas leaks.

"At the end of the day, it was (because of) one of the great big earthmovers that we were able to put the patients into the big scoop," Contreras said. "It's not something that I've ever done in my 34 years as a firefighter but disasters like this really cause us to have to look at those means of rescue that aren't in the book and that we don't do everyday."

After the rescue, caregivers moved the senior citizens to other facilities.

Among other residents rescued were seven people who were extracted from their cars that were trapped in flooded waters Sunday night, a mother and daughter who were scared and trapped in their home with water and debris seeping through their sliding glass door, four people from a rail train that had to stop due to debris flow on the tracks and one person who had a medical emergency and was airlifted to a hospital in stable condition, Contreras said, adding that no injuries occurred in their rescues.

Fire crews began working on Friday, providing residents with about 25,000 sandbags, according to Contreras.

"The men and women of the Cathedral City Fire Department amaze me each and every day. This is, for us, this is the fourth day we've been going, little sleep," Contreras said Monday. "They woke up, they came out here, they did whatever needed to be done, and I'm very proud of them. I'm very proud to be their fire chief."

Response efforts by the city's fire department were still underway, according to Hunt, who added that 911 lines were back up for police and fire-related emergencies in Cathedral City.

City Manager Charles McClendon declared a local emergency Monday due to unprecedented rainfall and flooding of roadways, according to Hunt. City Council members were expected to ratify the emergency order Wednesday.