CalMatters summed it up well: Governor Newsom’s office shared that tropical storm Hilary is the “wettest tropical cyclone in state history,” and the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years. The National Weather Service issued what it termed “life threatening” flash flood and tornado warnings, the Navy pulled its ships out of San Diego’s harbor, Death Valley National Park shut down, and public schools in Los Angeles and San Diego announced they would close today, with plans to resume classes tomorrow.
The City of Coronado made it through tropical storm Hilary relatively unscathed. Businesses prepped with sandbags by their doors and sent out notices on social media alerting to closures or adjusted hours for Sunday. Concert in the Park was pre-emptively canceled. The City and the Police Department actively shared information and updates and city crews were out and about ready to assist with emergencies.
Screenshots from Coronado Police Department’s Instagram on August 20:
Some flooding and downed trees and wires were reported, and the beach was closed mid-afternoon on Sunday. The beach is open as of Monday morning, but the ocean is closed due to the expected-with-rain pollution.
People took the warnings seriously and stayed home. Orange Avenue was deserted as most businesses either didn’t open at all or closed early.
In a Facebook post this morning, Coronado’s Mayor Richard Bailey publicly thanked the city for its efforts:
“I want to express my thanks to our City Manager, Tina Friend, and her entire team including the Public Services, Police, and Fire departments that prepared for tropical storm Hilary. There is a lot of work that happens behind the scenes and these people work hard for Coronado every day of the year.”
City crews got started early Monday cleaning debris from the streets.
For more information, visit the city’s Tropical Storm Hilary webpage.
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