SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in San Diego County on Sunday afternoon, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and the threat of flash flooding in the mountains and deserts.
Tropical Storm Hilary was downgraded from a Hurricane as the storm made landfall in Baja California on Sunday Morning. Tropical Storm Hilary will continue to break down as the storm passes over the region.
Hilary was downgraded as sustained winds around the eye of the storm weakened from 60 mph over Northern Baja to 50 mph over San Diego County.
The biggest threat in San Diego County mountains and deserts will be flash flooding. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency for California ahead of Hilary's arrival on Saturday while visiting National City.
Hilary will continue to race through the region and maintain tropical storm status through 11:00pm Sunday. It looks to be post-tropical by Monday morning.
Mayor Todd Gloria proclaimed a local emergency for the City of San Diego on Sunday morning.
- A Flood Watch is in effect for San Diego's coastal and inland communities until 5:00 a.m. on Monday
- A Flood Watch is also in effect for the desert and mountain communities of San Diego until Monday at 5:00 p.m.
- A Beach Hazard Statement is in effect for the coast areas until noon on Monday.
- A Tropical Storm Warning remain in effect for Southern California.
Schools
- The San Diego Unified School District will postpone the first day of the new school year on Monday. The district said it will give schools time to assess damage and ensure the schools are prepared for students and parents. Click here for the latest from the San Diego County Office of Education.
- San Diego State University will move to virtual instruction on Monday, SDSU announced. Students and staff are scheduled to return to in-person instruction on Tuesday.
- Palomar Community College canceled in-person and virtual classes Monday. Instruction is set to resume on Tuesday.
- Poway Unified schools will open as scheduled on Monday.
- San Diego Community College District postponed classes Monday, and will start Tuesday.
Roads
The City of San Diego has road closures in effect in Mission Valley:
- Camino De La Reina at Camino De La Siesta (westbound)
- Camino De La Reina west of Avenida Del Rio (eastbound)
- San Diego Mission Road between Fairmount and Caminito Yucatan (east/west)
The California Highway Patrol is recommending San Diego County residents to stay off of the roads because of the moisture brought by Hilary. There have been hundreds of accidents across San Diego County, the CHP confirmed to CBS 8.
Limited visibility, strong rain downpours and intense wind gusts will continue to create difficulties and dangers for anyone on the roads. Downed trees and power lines is still a possibility across the county as Hilary passes.
Outages
To check for any power outages across San Diego or to see the status of a current outage, click here.
Closures
The City of San Diego announced the closure of all public facilities to the public through Monday, Aug. 21, and may reopen on Tuesday, Aug. 22, depending on the storm conditions. These closures include:
- City libraries, recreation centers and swimming pools.
- All City beaches, regional and community parks and open space parks.
- All City reservoir lakes.
- Torrey Pines, Balboa and Mission Bay golf courses.
- The City Administration Building, located at 202 C St. Passport services will not be available in person on Monday, previously scheduled appointments will be rescheduled.
- The San Diego Zoo and The San Diego Safari Park.
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WATCH RELATED: Tracking Hilary | Once a Category 4 Hurricane, downgraded to tropical storm before hitting CA
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