Gavin Newsom declares State of Emergency in California even though #Hilary has been downgraded to a tropical storm. CALI might escape a huge storm surge and high winds but not the rain.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-18/hurricane-hilary-category-4-southern-california

Laura Cunningham
@PaleoLaura
·
16h
All day gray overcast and just now started softly raining. Radar shows more rain east of us, east of Death Valley. Sandbags in place ✅ Gallons of water bought ✅ Tree branch noticed overhanging electric lines removed ✅ #MojaveDesert #Hilary Better to overestimate this one 🌀

Dr. Daniel Swain
@Weather_West
·
17h
Pretty amazing GOES-WEST satellite snapshot depicting a (weakening) #HurricaneHilary on approach to Southern California, numerous thunderstorms across the interior Western U.S., and widespread wildfire smoke across much of the Pacific Northwest and Canada. #Hilary #CAwx

A flood advisory is in effect until 8 PM PDT this evening for Los Angeles County, including Catalina Island. Rain rates between 0.20 and 0.50 inches per hour have become common. This will result in ponding of water across low lying areas and areas with poor drainage. #LArain

WeatherNation
@WeatherNation
·
5m
NEW: #Hilary makes landfall in the northern Baja California Peninsula as a tropical storm. Life-threatening flooding likely over portions of the southwestern U.S. now through Monday.

Winds now sustained at 65 mph.

Longtime residents worry that Maui will be transformed into another Waikiki – Oahu’s main hotel and resort spot, with highrise hotels lining the shore – with old timers and native Hawaiians pushed out.

“Without Hawaiians, it’s not going to be Hawaii,” said Kapono Kong, who lives on the west side of Maui. “With no Hawaiians, there’s no aloha.”

Lahaina, which translated means “cruel sun,” is now almost completely gone. The economic and cultural heart of the island was reduced to an ashen landscape in the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years.

At least 114 people have died in the western Maui wildfires and more than 1,000 people remain missing. With nearly 3,000 homes and businesses destroyed or damaged, losses are estimated to be $6 billion, state officials said.

CNN
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A state agency delayed a water management company’s request to make more water available to fight the devastating wildfires on Maui earlier this month, according to letters obtained by CNN.

Glenn Tremble of the West Maui Land Company, which manages water supply companies, complained in a letter to the deputy director of the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management that the agency failed to quickly approve his company’s request to divert stream water to nearby reservoirs.

Lurching from disaster to disaster. #Lahaina #CanadianWildfires #EuropeOnFire #HurricaneIan #HurricaneHilary And yet, everything is just fine. 👺

The director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services issued a stark warning in a news conference Saturday, saying the approaching Hurricane Hilary "could be one of the most devastating storms that we've had hit California in more than a decade."

"Make no mistake," Nancy Ward said. "This is a very, very dangerous and significant storm."

Sheriff issues evacuation warning for some mountain and foothill communities east of LA
From CNN’s Matt Phillips

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has issued an evacuation warning for the communities of Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks, and Northeast Yucaipa, according to a post on the department’s Instagram.

The Tropical Strom Watch has been expanded to include ALL of LOS ANGELES County, as well as mountains, valley and foothills of Ventura County.