Topline:
As predicted, Tropical Storm Hilary brought heavy rains to Southern California, particularly in the mountain and desert areas, which saw quite a bit of flooding and debris flows.
The forecast: Intermittent rain and thunderstorms are expected through Monday, but things should clear up my Tuesday.
Heaviest rainfall: Lewis Ranch in Los Angeles County saw 7.04 inches.
The storm formerly known as Hurricane Hilary has broken down and moved on to Nevada, leaving behind flooded roads, downed trees, stranded cars and soaked residents.
As predicted, Southern California's first tropical storm to make landfall in 84 years hit the mountains, foothills and deserts the hardest.
ATTN Drivers, please stay off the roads, if able. This video was taken by our #Caltrans8 Cajon Crew team wearing a head camera of SR-2 and Sheep Creek. Flash floods, high winds and the rain are making it a big challenge for all. Please be patient while we work. pic.twitter.com/BFga3z6JMG
— Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) August 21, 2023
"It was uncharted territory as much for us forecasters as it was the public who found what we were saying pretty hard to believe," said Miguel Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "We found it hard to believe ourselves, but we couldn't discount it. Couldn't deny it."
The center of Hilary passed over Los Angeles around 8 p.m. Sunday, though the heaviest rain fell between 2 and 6 p.m., dropping more than 1 inch per hour in some spots.
There have been no reports of any significant injuries or damage as of 8 a.m. Monday, though assessments are ongoing.
"We urge you to please be cautious of hazardous road conditions," L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a Monday morning news conference.
Still, the storm was felt across the region:
Across L.A. County, it was the San Gabriel mountains and the Antelope Valley that saw some of the heaviest bands of precipitation.
💧TRAVEL ADVISORY💧@CaltransDist7 strongly advises motorists to postpone travel during #Hillary storm. EB Route 118 near #Llano CLOSED at Route 18 due to flooding. Traffic diverted to SR-18. Check https://t.co/cxZ0jW7S5n for updates. #AntelopeValley #Lancaster pic.twitter.com/T9pW0Dkx59
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) August 21, 2023
Rainfall totals as of early Monday:
Given how unusual it is for our region to see rain during this time of year, it's unsurprising that many daily rainfall records fell.
Flood watches are still in effect for Los Angeles and surrounding counties as the storm wraps up. They'll likely be lifted by Tuesday.
“We’ve made it this far. Let’s make it to the final home stretch here,” said Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge with the National Weather Service.
Screenshots from PSPD drone footage of the flooding and storm damage on Indian Canyon. pic.twitter.com/jFPuLAZ4o4
— City of Palm Springs (@CityofPS) August 21, 2023
Palm Springs received a record setting 3.18 inches of rain, their largest amount in 93 years. Roads were washed out and streets flooded.
Homes in nearby Cathedral City were inundated with mud and water.
Aerials show the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary in Cathedral City. This is off Date Palm Dr, you can see multiple vehicles stuck in mud
— KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) August 21, 2023
STORM UPDATES: https://t.co/EVe9VxxaL5 pic.twitter.com/JSr5gvxKK3
The 911 system across the Coachella Valley went down overnight, and as of 7 a.m., there was no estimated time for restoration.
Riverside County provided the following alternative numbers for residents to call if help is needed:
Mias Canyon Bridge completely washed out in Banning with the San Gorgonio River still gushing. #Hilary #CAwx pic.twitter.com/IolFdgQggt
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) August 21, 2023
Oak Glen and Forest Falls in San Bernardino County also experienced significant debris flows.
Morning light revealing the scale of several mud slides in the San Bernardino mountain ranges including the one I documented in Forest Falls and a major slide that destroyed several cabs in Seven Oaks. Full video below #CAwx #Hilary https://t.co/oEMR448S6c pic.twitter.com/1zre7HxsSr
— Aaron Rigsby (@AaronRigsbyOSC) August 21, 2023
The city of L.A. is providing shelters to unhoused people at the following locations:
If you need to report a flooded road or a downed tree, you can call the following non-emergency numbers:
If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags, you can find them at local fire houses.
Dial 911 if it's an emergency.
As Hurricane Hilary approaches, it's important to have a safety plan in place. Advice from L.A. County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone:
A detailed list of emergency kit items can be found at ready.la county.gov; there will be real-time emergency updates on the county’s emergency website, found on the county’s landing page: LA county.gov/emergency.
The last time we were directly hit by a tropical storm was in 1939, when one made landfall in Long Beach, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
While the track of this storm was unusual, the hurricane itself was not.
“So far this season has played out as expected,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center.
Tropical cyclones regularly form off the coast of Southwest Mexico between May and November. While they usually track west out into the Pacific, they can head north toward Baja.
Sometimes they do indirectly affect Southern California. In September 2022, Hurricane Kay dropped more than 5 inches of rain on the area, causing flooding and damaging homes.
Topline:
Powerful, hurricane-charged waves may hit Southern California again this weekend, threatening further damage to beachfront homes and the public boardwalk on the Long Beach Peninsula, where crews haven’t had time to rebuild from the last major storm swell.
Strong conditions: Hurricane Polo in the southern Pacific could produce tides of up to 7 feet in Long Beach, with waves between 4 and 6 feet, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service. The strongest conditions are expected around 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday before tapering off that evening.
The backstory: Forecasters caution they won’t have a firm idea of the storm’s path until Thursday, but in a “worst-case scenario,” the swell could be similar to the one caused by Hurricane Marie, said Devin Black with the NWS. That storm sent waves crashing into the Peninsula, flooding streets, shattering portions of a wooden boardwalk and forcing evacuations at 19 coastline homes.
Read on... for more on how more hurricane-drive waves are already threatening Long Beach.
This story first appeared on Long Beach Post.
Powerful, hurricane-charged waves may hit Southern California again this weekend, threatening further damage to beachfront homes and the public boardwalk on the Long Beach Peninsula, where crews haven’t had time to rebuild from the last major storm swell.
Hurricane Polo in the southern Pacific could produce tides of up to 7 feet in Long Beach, with waves between 4 and 6 feet, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service. The strongest conditions are expected around 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday before tapering off that evening.
Forecasters caution they won’t have a firm idea of the storm’s path until Thursday, but in a “worst-case scenario,” the swell could be similar to the one caused by Hurricane Marie, said Devin Black with the NWS. That storm sent waves crashing into the Peninsula, flooding streets, shattering portions of a wooden boardwalk and forcing evacuations at 19 homes along the coast.
Whether Polo reaches that severity depends on how it travels. Black explained that weak steering currents in the atmosphere have some forecasting models showing the storm curving toward Mexico, while others show it tracking farther west — a scenario that would leave Southern California more exposed to swells.
At the right angle, those swells can pass through a gap in Long Beach’s breakwater and jetty, mostly hitting the Peninsula between 62nd and 69th places. Normally this stretch is protected by a reinforced sand berm meant to soften the blows the Peninsula takes from the waves. But Hurricane Marie stripped away so much sand from this area, officials say, that there’s no beachfront left to build it between 62nd and 69th. Because of the damage, “we can’t even get trucks down there to build out the berm,” said City Manager Tom Modica.
Crews will continue to reinforce the berm to the east and west of those cross streets.
City crews, with help from the Conservation Corps, are also replacing damaged sections of boardwalk with plywood while engineers assess its wooden seawall, which was left battered and exposed after waves punctured holes and left some hinges twisted.
Officials urge homeowners who received sandbags after Marie to keep them in place through this weekend and the winter, when strong waves and flooding could be commonplace because of a supercharged El Niño.
“We are encouraging everyone to do what they need to to protect their private property,” Modica said, adding that the city will be offering more sandbags ahead of this weekend.
Modica said the city hasn’t yet decided whether to issue evacuation orders for homes. “Depends on where the activity is, and what hits, and what the conditions are,” he said. “We will take that kind of as the situation progresses.”
A report due out next week will assess the condition of the city’s seawall, lay out short-term solutions ahead of winter and sketch potential long-term plans for the coastline. Modica said he also hopes to release next week the costs already incurred from Hurricane Marie along with rough estimates for repairs.
The longer-term challenge is restoring the sand stripped from the shoreline.
In light of the coming winter season, the city says it wants to expedite its $9.75 million dredging project that would pull roughly 415,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Alamitos Bay channel to extend the beach by about 260 feet. Expected to start in late October, Modica said he’s hoping to quicken the pace if “even by a few days.”
“We are working to see what we can do to accelerate it as much as possible, if we can get any additional sand,” Modica said, adding that the city is also considering whether future phases could add to that work.
The Long Beach City Council is anticipated to ratify a local emergency order on Tuesday in response to the ongoing threat of El Niño. Modica initiated the process this week, saying one was needed ahead of a “really tough season.”
The declaration does not close streets or trigger evacuations on its own. Instead, it allows the city to bypass standard procurement and contracting timelines so it can stockpile sandbags, hire additional crews and equipment, and strike agreements with outside agencies without waiting for council approval at each step.
The order also allows Modica to spend up to $1 million through emergency contracts, with his spending reported to the City Council every two weeks. Modica said he’s already eyeing purchases for more sand for sandbags, along with building materials, outside crews for work such as tree removal, and rented water pumps for low-lying intersections across the city. Larger reconstruction projects, he said, would go through the city’s standard contracting and bidding process.
Long Beach’s declaration follows a similar one from Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose office has warned that changing ocean dynamics and El Niño conditions spurred by climate change could bring severe rain, flooding, and taller tides to the region. Forecasters have placed strong odds on a very powerful El Niño this year, with roughly a two-thirds chance it reaches historic strength by year’s end, a threshold that would surpass every event recorded since 1950.
Topline:
A number of marine animals that don’t normally live here are showing up off the coast of Southern California because of El Niño's warm waters.
The details: The animals are mostly native to the ocean off the coast of Mexico, but scientists say they are following the warm waters that fuel El Niño north to Southern California. Scientists expect the climate system to have a dramatic effect on our marine ecosystems over the next few months.
The creatures: An endangered olive ridley sea turtle was seen laying eggs in the sand near Seal Beach on Sept. 16. A fisherman also recently caught a longfinned bigeye from the Venice fishing pier, a bright red-orange fish that normally lives off of Mexico and Baja. Other sightings include a whale shark off the coast of Malibu, hammerhead sharks and possibly a yellow-bellied sea snake.
Native species: The warmer waters could pose a threat to native marine life by disrupting food sources and fueling toxic algae blooms. Marine mammals like seals and sea lions are especially susceptible to the changes. If you see a sick or stranded animal, keep your distance and contact authorities.
Read on … to learn more about these unusual ocean visitors.
Unusual creatures are visiting Southern California’s coastal waters.
One of them, a sea turtle, nested near Seal Beach last week for the first time in California history.
And they’re here because of El Niño.
Forecasters say there is more than a 90% chance that this year’s El Niño is going to be very strong, and most Southern Californians are bracing for record-high surf and heavy rains that usually come with the climate pattern.
Residents got a taste earlier this month of what could come this fall and winter, when surf from Hurricane Marie caused widespread damage along the Southern California coast.
But the region is also starting to see a lesser-known effect of El Niño: sea creatures that don’t normally live here showing up in our waters.
Scientists say they are following the warm waters that fuel El Niño, which are likely to have a dramatic impact on our marine ecosystems over the course of the season.
“ Animals like a certain range of temperature, just like you're setting the thermostat at home to a certain temperature that you like,” said Bill Ludt, a curator of ichthyology, or the study of fish, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
During an El Niño year, the normally cool waters off the California coast warm significantly. As that happens, animals that normally live in warmer, tropical waters off the coast of Mexico, like sea turtles, move north.
The endangered olive ridley sea turtle crawled out of the ocean near Seal Beach on Sept. 16, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It dug a hole and laid its clutch of eggs inside before burying it and shuffling back into the sea.
A turtle was also seen nesting near the Huntington Beach Pier. Officials have fenced off both nesting sites.
The Seal Beach turtle is just one of a number of unusual creatures that have been spotted off the Southern California coast lately.
A whale shark was spotted near the Channel Islands, off the coast of Malibu. There have also been reports of hammerhead sharks and other large fish like mahi mahi and bullet tuna.
Like the turtle, some creatures have never been recorded in California waters before. A fisherman recently caught a longfinned bigeye from the Venice fishing pier, a bright red-orange fish that normally lives off of Mexico and Baja California.
“It is a wide-ranging species, just not typically in California,” Ludt said. “So it will occur in Baja, as well as other parts of the world. But for California, this is a first.”
Ludt and his colleagues at the Natural History Museum collected the longfinned bigeye and are preserving the physical specimen in the museum’s archive.
“We just want to document things that are rare along our coast, as well as the common things,” Ludt said. “Our goal is always to just document life and how it changes over time on our planet.”
According to Ludt, the creatures Southern California is seeing so far are just the beginning of what’s to come this year.
Animals like the sea turtle and the sharks are what scientists call pelagic animals, meaning they live mostly in open oceans, often migrating in search of food.
Ludt said it will take longer for sea life to show up that doesn’t normally migrate over long distances, like smaller fish. He said we could eventually see colorful reef fish, such as damselfish, angelfish or pufferfish, similar to those one might see living among corals in Hawaii.
Sea snakes are also likely to move into our waters. There was a report of a yellow-bellied sea snake washing up at Crystal Cove in Orange County, but scientists have yet to confirm its authenticity.
Yellow-bellied sea snakes have also been seen here during past El Niño events. They are venomous but don’t pose a threat to humans unless handled.
These warm-water animals will likely retreat south, and some may die and wash ashore when waters cool down again later this winter.
While the newcomers thrive in warm waters, California’s native sea life does not.
The heat can affect their immune system and metabolism. That, in turn, means less food is available for other animals that eat fish, including seals, sea lions and dolphins.
Another danger is algal blooms. Warmer water allows more algae to grow, and at times, the algae can be toxic, especially to marine mammals.
Scientists say these stressors will likely leave some animals sick and stranded.
“They'll beach, and they'll be acting up weirdly, sometimes maybe more aggressively than they normally would,” said Jorge Velez-Juarbe, curator of marine mammals at the L.A. County Natural History Museum.
Velez-Juarbe added that we could also see more deaths of marine mammals over the next few months.
El Niño’s warming trend is also a window into the effects of a changing climate. Velez-Juarbe said it's an example of how ongoing ocean warming due to climate change can affect Southern California’s marine environments.
Thankfully, Velez-Juarbe said it's unlikely El Niño will cause long-term damage to native species populations. They will likely rebound when ocean temperatures fall later this winter.
If you see a sick or stranded animal, the best thing to do is to keep your distance and call authorities. He also recommends reporting the animal to NOAA’s stranded animal hotline at (866) 767-6114.
If you come across an unusual sea creature along the shore, you can also email the team at the Natural History Museum at nature@nhm.org.
In this edition:
The Lucas Museum opens, free pancakes at Redbird, Watts Towers festivals and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
The big day is finally here: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened its doors in Expo Park on Tuesday. But have no fear if you missed the big, celeb-studded bash last weekend (I’m just here scrolling through the Vanity Fair photos of Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry, too, my friends); the museum is here to stay. Keep those reviews coming, and I’m planning to work remotely from that gorgeous reading room one day soon.
Elsewhere on LAist, you read up on Long Beach Aquarium’s plans to save an endangered frog and find your favorite fat bear to vote for during Fat Bear week.
Licorice Pizza’s music picks this week include:
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Through Feb. 2027
Marciano Art Foundation
4357 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
COST: FREE WITH ONLINE RESERVATION; MORE INFO
One of my favorite things about writing this column every week is that over time, I get to see how art and culture are on a continuum in L.A. This was one of those weeks. I went to the opening of the new Tacita Dean installation, Film, at Marciano Art Foundation. Dean is a British artist and champion of analogue film (it’s no surprise that she counts Christopher Nolan among her many fans and friends). In April, her work was shown at the now-closed Marion Goodman Gallery, and it’s been a joy to get to know a new-to-me artist this year who has such deep ties to film and L.A. culture. While you’re there, the Foundation also has an enjoyable new exhibit from Belgian artist Pierre Leguillon on artists and advertising.
Through Sunday, Sept. 27
The Actors’ Gang
9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City
COST: FROM $28; MORE INFO
This play, first produced in the early 2000s, looks at one woman's search for her son's remains years after he was killed in the attack on Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Presented loosely as a Greek tragedy and inspired by true events, the drama looks at the ties that bind people through loss and stars Actors’ Gang regular Kate Mulligan.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27
Redbird
114 E. 2nd St. Downtown L.A.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
I hope these pancakes look like Leia’s buns! To celebrate the opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Redbird is offering a free short stack for your table; just show a ticket from your visit to the newest art museum in LA. And don’t worry: If you’re brunching pre-museum, just use the passphrase “may the force be with you” to secure the sustenance.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27
Watts Towers Arts Center
1727 E. 107th St., Watts
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Two festivals are on at Watts Towers, with both days featuring music and culture at Simon Rodia’s ship-shaped temple of tile. Saturday is the 44th Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival, and Sunday brings the 49th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival.
Saturday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
HVW8 Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave., Fairfax District
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
President Barack Obama granted clemency to Mr. Wash in 2016 after 21 years of wrongful incarceration. Self-taught while in prison, Mr. Wash has seen his work shown and collected across L.A. at the Hammer Museum, LACMA and the Huntington Library; his latest work is on view at David Zwirner Gallery. Celebrate his first decade out and support his Art By Wash Studio and Community Center in Compton, which will offer all-levels art classes and workshops, creative residencies and “reintegration resources for individuals returning home from prison” at the HVW8 party.
Through Sunday, Oct. 18
Colony Theatre
555 N. Third St., Burbank
COST: $60; MORE INFO
The Colony puts on consistently fun, solid shows, and Catch Me If You Can is no exception. This version of the musical adaptation of the 2002 Leonardo DiCaprio movie is directed by Colony regular Michael Donovan, who most recently directed the theater’s The Wedding Singer. The original musical about con artist extraordinaire Frank Abagnale scored four Tony nominations.
Friday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m.
Zibby’s Bookshop
1113 Montana Ave., Santa Monica
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
It’s that time of year again, and Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica has gathered some student-essay-writing experts to help your teenager through the application process, whether that’s a personal statement for college, a local private or boarding school or any other application. The art of the essay is in self-discovery, so bring your budding writer and strap in.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
ARK/8
115 S. La Brea Ave., Inglewood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
I’ve missed iam8bit’s shows, so I’m delighted to see this new partnership with SEGA for all the other '90s gamers out there. It celebrates 35 years of Sonic the Hedgehog with 35 Years of Speed: The Sonic Art Exhibit, and will feature original works from more than 30 renowned artists who pay homage to Sonic’s journey throughout the years.
Topline:
State and local lawmakers are joining immigrant rights groups in urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would bar California law enforcement from moonlighting for ICE.
Why it matters: If implemented, the bill would ban California police, sheriffs and other law enforcement from taking on second jobs that involve “arresting, detaining, transporting, or deporting” people.
What police unions say: The Peace Officers Research Association Of California, which represents officers across the state, has spoken out against the bill, arguing that “policies like this don’t improve public safety.”
What the bill’s supporters argue: Pointing to multiple deaths involving federal immigration agents in recent months — from Minneapolis to Houston — and to a recent shooting in Austin, supporters like José Madera, who directs the Pasadena Job Center, say: “We don't need our local police to be part of that violence.”
What's next: Gov. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
Go deeper: Los Angeles protesters join nationwide call to action against ICE
State and local lawmakers are joining immigrant rights groups in urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would bar California law enforcement from moonlighting for ICE.
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who represents Angelenos from South L.A. to Mar Vista, introduced AB 1537 in January. If implemented, the bill would ban California police, sheriffs and other law enforcement from taking on second jobs that involve “arresting, detaining, transporting, or deporting” people.
The bill has made its way through the state legislature and is now on the governor’s desk. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.
At a press conference outside L.A. City Hall on Wednesday, José Madera, who directs the Pasadena Job Center, pointed to multiple deaths involving federal immigration agents in recent months — from Minneapolis to Houston — and to a recent shooting in Austin. “We don't need our local police to be part of that violence,” he said.
“ICE is a lawless, rogue agency that is terrorizing our communities, separating our families and kidnapping our neighbors,” said Bruno Huizar, supervising policy manager at the California Immigrant Policy Center. “Governor Newsom must sign AB 1537 into law to protect Californians.”
L.A. City councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose own parents were undocumented, said it pained him to see immigrant parents go to work and to church in fear of being separated from their children.
“If you’re a public servant, you should be serving the public — not helping ICE tear families apart,” he added in a follow-up email statement.
The bill, dubbed “No side jobs for ICE” by its proponents, would also require officers to report secondary employment offers relating to immigration to their employers.
“If a law enforcement agent gets a conditional offer from an immigration enforcement agency, that will be part of their employment records. And that will be subject to a public records act request,” said Shiu-Ming Cheer, a licensed attorney at the California Immigration Policy Center. “This is aimed at bringing transparency, so that we know how many officers are actually getting offers to work as an ICE agent or a Border Patrol agent.”
The Peace Officers Research Association of California, which represents officers across the state, has spoken out against the bill, arguing that “policies like this don’t improve public safety.” The Los Angeles Police Protective League did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
The bill is part of a growing effort to bar local law enforcement from engaging in the ongoing mass deportation effort. The L.A. City Council approved a motion in March, barring city employees from holding second jobs with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
In Santa Ana, the City Council recently adopted a policy that prohibits employees from obtaining outside work that involves federal immigration enforcement activities.
