RivCo Supes Approve More 'Emergency Actions' After Tropical Storm

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District's request to continue "emergency actions" tied to Tropical Storm Hilary last summer.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board authorized the district to carry on restoration and protection projects in the aftermath of the storm. The supervisors have granted the district's requests every month since Hilary occurred on Aug. 19-20, 2023.

"Parts of Riverside County saw record rainfall, flooding, flash flooding, mud flows and debris flows," according to an agency statement. "Among the hardest hit areas were the San Bernardino Mountains and communities in the Coachella Valley."

Flood control engineers have focused on repairs and modifications to the Mission Creek Channel, Murrieta Creek, the Potrero Creek Debris Basin and the Tahquitz Creek Channel.

In October, the board approved a $300,000 emergency repair project in the Palm Canyon Wash, near Cathedral City, which sustained damage, including eroded side slopes, requiring "local drainage features to ensure interior drainage," according to the district.

State law requires the board to declare an ongoing emergency in order to expedite projects, without a requirement for competitive bidding among prospective contractors.

The tropical storm deluged parts of the county. The Coachella Valley bore the brunt of damage, including flooded roads, downed power lines and damaged rooftops on homes and businesses.