Tropical storm Hilary left an indelible impression on San Diego County, toppling trees, shifting boulders, flooding intersections and canceling airline flights with winds and rain that are more reminiscent of winter than summer. We’ll continue to report the storm’s aftermath on sandiegouniontribune.com. Here’s a look at what happened in San Diego County leading up to landfall and on Sunday, Aug. 20, when the storm reached the region.
7:59 PM August 20
San Diego Community College District cancels Monday classes
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The San Diego Community College District announced Sunday evening that all of its campuses and facilities will be closed Monday because of Tropical Storm Hilary.
All classes at at San Diego City, Mesa, Miramar and Continuing Education colleges are canceled “so that all facilities can be inspected,” the district said in a news release.
A full reopening is scheduled for Tuesday. Monday would have been the first day of classes for approximately 50,000 students across the district.
“The health and safety of our students and employees is our highest priority,” SDCCD Acting Chancellor Gregory Smith said in a statement. “While we have received no reports of damage to any district facilities, we believe it best for the community to keep as many people as possible off local roads and highways.”
7:16 PM August 20
Tropical Storm Hilary? She’s already gone
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The National Weather Service projected that the center of Hilary would through San Diego between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., the agency said the system actually shot through the city between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
However, the agency didn’t notify the public, creating a real surprise for some of the reporters covering the storm.
7:01 PM August 20
President Biden urges people to take storm seriously
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
President Joe Biden said he spoke with Gov. Gavin Newsom Sunday about emergency preparedness measures in place and will continue to be briefed on the Tropical Storm Hilary’s impact.
“My istration stands ready to provide additional assistance as requested,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “I urge people to take this storm seriously, and listen to state and local officials.”
At his direction, FEMA sent supplies and personnel to California to aid communities impacted by the storm. The U.S. Coast Guard also pre-positioned aircraft in case rapid responses or search-and-rescue efforts were called for, the statement read.
6:53 PM August 20
Across San Diego, reports of streets flooded, trees down
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
On the city of San Diego’s Get It Done! tipster app, residents’ recent reports late Sunday afternoon showed photos of street flooding from Southcrest to Miramar Ranch, downed trees from Encanto to Rancho Bernardo, streetlight outages from Logan Heights to Rancho Peñasquitos and blocked or overflowing storm drains from North Park to Sorrento Valley.
In some cases, including in Mission Hills and Carmel Valley, trees were reported to have knocked down power lines or blocked roadways.
To report flooding, blocked storm drains, downed trees or other issues in San Diego, go to the city’s Get It Done! app: sandiego.gov/get-it-done
6:37 PM August 20
Red Cross opens overnight shelters in North, South County
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The Red Cross is opening two overnight storm shelters for people displaced by the storm.
The shelters will be located at the Corky Smith Gymnasium at 274 Pico Avenue in San Marcos and at the Southwestern College Jaguar Aquatics Wellness and Sports facility at 900 Otay Lakes Road in Chula Vista.
The shelters will offer food and a safe place to rest for community . Pets will be allowed only at the Chula Vista shelter.
5:16 PM August 20
DoorDash suspends operations in San Diego County until Monday morning
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
DoorDash activated a severe weather protocol for San Diego County on Sunday afternoon, suspending service to the area until 9 a.m. Monday.
5:14 PM August 20
National Weather Service issues new flash flood warnings for East County
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The National Weather Service issued a new flash flood warning for several East County communities, including El Cajon, Santee and Poway.
The warning will remain in place until 5 p.m.
4:58 PM August 20
MTS shares updates on detours
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Detours are in effect across some parts the MTS system to avoid flooded areas.
For example, Routes 1, 20, 41, 88 and 120 are detoured to avoid crossing the San Diego River.
To see a full list of delays and detours, go here: sdmts.com/getting-around/alerts-detours
4:56 PM August 20
Flooding prompts closure of Coronado Cays Boulevard offramps
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The Coronado Cays Boulevard offramps from southbound State Route 75 have been closed indefinitely due to flooding, Coronado Police announced just after 3 p.m.
3:24 PM August 20
First power outages rolling in
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Coastal North County was the first to see power outages Sunday, with a vehicle accident in South Vista causing a minor disruption for an estimated 18 people, according to San Diego Gas and Electric.
Just before noon, the utility’s outage tracker listed three additional circuit shut downs, one in La Costa at 11:14 a.m. that affected 1,527 residents and another on the coast at 11:42 a.m. that shut down service for an additional 483 customers. Just a few minutes later, at 11:58 a.m., another outage appeared in the Fairbanks Country Club east of Del Mar, with an additional 1,133 SDG&E customers without power.
By 2:45 p.m., those numbers had grown significantly with nearly 8,000 SDG&E customers countywide experiencing unplanned power outages.
Candace Hadley, an SDG&E representative, said the causes for the three most-recent outages are not yet known.
“Our crews are actively investigating the cause of those outages, and they are working diligently to restore power as quickly as possible,” Hadley said.
3:23 PM August 20
SDG&E: Be prepared for prolonged outages
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
San Diego Gas & Electric said Sunday that residents should expect prolonged outages as Tropical Storm Hilary douses the region with rain.
Caroline Winn, the utility’s CEO, said the company has been monitoring the storms development for nearly two weeks, and Hilary is fueling “unprecedented weather conditions.”
She said the rain and wind are the utility’s top concerns. Wind can topple trees and fling objects and debris into power lines, and cars can lose traction on rain-soaked roads and run into SDG&E infrastructure.
It’s likely the storm will cause flooding, which may impact the ability of utility crews to respond to outages quickly, and wind gusts may keep bucket trucks grounded, as well, she said.
Although the company has extra crews and equipment at the ready, the storm will partially dictate how long it takes workers to respond to outages.
“I really want to make sure that our customers are prepared for prolonged outages,” Winn said.
She also advised residents to stay away from any downed lines, and to call 911 if they smell gas. Current outages can be viewed on SDG&E’s app and website.
2:59 PM August 20
County leaders on Tropical Storm Hilary: ‘Stay home, stay informed and please stay safe’
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
County leaders on Sunday updated the public on what the region is doing to prepare for Tropical Storm Hilary and stressed that — when possible — people should stay home, stay informed and stay safe.
During a news conference at the region’s Office of Emergency services building, Supervisor Nora Vargas said the county has spent days preparing for Hilary to make landfall. County authorities increased staffing for emergency response crews, cleared roads and storm drains of debris and provided sandbags to residents.
The county also upped capacity at its inclement weather shelters. Teams have been working for days to inform those who are homeless of shelter options, and will continue that work, county officials said.
Leaders encouraged residents to go to alertsandiego.org for the most timely storm information.
“I want to encourage everyone to please continue to follow our guidance with important safety updates and continue to stay on top of this situation, and we’ll make information public as soon as we have it,” Vargas said.
County leaders declared a local emergency Saturday night, anticipating that resources and assistance from state and federal governments would be needed.
The city of San Diego followed suit Sunday afternoon.
2:55 PM August 20
Mudslides, fallen trees block roads as storm continues to drench region
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
A mudslide was reported just before 1 p.m. on state Route 78 near Banner Drive in Julian, with “heavy mud” blocking southbound lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Earlier, about 11:30 a.m., a large tree fell and took out two smaller trees about 20 miles away on state Route 76 near Lake Henshaw. Debris blocked the lanes in both directions.
Caltrans crews were sent to clear the mess.
2:38 PM August 20
San Diego Unified announces cancellation of classes Monday
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
San Diego Unified School District announced Sunday that the first day of school will be moved from Monday to Tuesday.
“Postponing the first day will allow the district to assess any impact to sites and offices and ensure they are prepared to welcome students and families to the new school year,” Superintendent of Public Education Lamont A. Jackson said in an email.
Monday will be a work day for staff, the email read.
The San Diego County Office of Education will share a list of closures, schedule changes, and additional updates as they are available here: sdcoe.net.
https://twitter.com/SanDiegoCOE/status/1693359617483669564?s=20
2:13 PM August 20
San Diego announces some Mission Valley road closures ahead of potential flooding
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The city of San Diego announced the following road closures in Mission Valley at 12:33 p.m. on Sunday:
- 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)
- Qualcomm Way and Rio San Diego (southbound)
- Mission Center Road between Hazard Center Drive and Camino De La Reina (northbound)
- Ward Road at Camino Del Rio N (southbound)
- Camino Del Este between Station Village Drive and Camino De La Reina (both directions)
- Hazard Center Drive below state Route 163
2:13 PM August 20
Local emergency declaration signed by Mayor Todd Gloria
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Mayor Todd Gloria signed a local emergency proclamation on Sunday afternoon, a move that enables the city to acquire state and federal disaster resources if needed.
“I ask San Diego to continue to be vigilant — make sure water has a place to go around your property, prepare for power outages, steer clear of downed power lines and report them to 9-1-1, and avoid any unnecessary travel,” Gloria said in a statement.
https://twitter.com/MayorToddGloria/status/1693353507867541893?s=20
1:53 PM August 20
Photos show conditions in Tijuana early Sunday
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Union-Tribune photographer Ana Ramirez captured images of Tijuana residents working to protect their homes from rain and flooding on Sunday.
1:52 PM August 20
North County Transit District cancels some late Sunday Coaster trains
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The North County Transit District announced the cancellation of some Sunday evening Coaster train routes.
They are southbound departures from the Oceanside Transit Center at 2:16 and 5:16 p.m., as well as northbound departures from Santa Fe Dopot at 3:40 and 7:20 p.m.
Impacted customers can access NCTD+ discounted rideshare vouchers for Uber and Lyft at GoNCTD.com/Alerts.
1:34 PM August 20
San Diego’s ambulance provider preparing for storm with extra crews, alternate routes
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Tropical storm Hilary has prompted San Diego’s ambulance provider Falck USA to add extra crews, put all employees on call and plan alternate routes in flood-prone areas.
Those moves are part of Falck’s incident action plan, which also includes putting generators in place for power outages and boosting supplies for paramedics and emergency medical technicians, a company spokesperson said Sunday afternoon.
If it becomes necessary to evacuate nursing homes or hospitals, Falck has designated National University as an assembly point for potential strike teams to handle those evacuations.
Falck is also working with city fire officials to avoid delays, but the company said some delays will be unavoidable.
“We’re going to be responding more slowly for our own safety, and we could be delayed by flooding, mudslides or downed trees on roadways,” said the spokesperson, Jeff Lucia.
Alternative routes are key to the strategy.
“We’re closely monitoring roadway conditions and are prepared to use alternate routes to reach hospitals if necessary,” Lucia said. “Nobody can predict the full impact of the hurricane, but we are monitoring areas where flooding has occurred in the past — for example, the Border area and Mission Valley, as well as areas that are prone to mudslides, such as Bay Park.”
1:04 PM August 20
Is a second storm headed our way?
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The National Hurricane Center is reporting that a tropical depression has started to develop off the southwest coast of Mexico in roughly the same area that gave rise to Hilary.
It should be apparent by Tuesday whether the system is likely to become a tropical storm.
12:39 PM August 20
A chance of tornadoes? You read that right.
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
There is a 40-percent chance that tornadoes will break out in San Diego County on Sunday afternoon, especially in the eastern reaches of the region, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornadoes might be embedded in hard-to-see rain bands. Forecasters say that highly unstable air is rushing in from the east and from the area in and around Tijuana.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If you don’t have a basement, go to an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet. Avoid taking shelter where there are heavy objects on the floor directly above you.”
12:33 PM August 20
Some churches closed on Sunday amid downpour
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Some San Diego County churches and religious organizations were closed on Sunday, though many waited as long as they could to make a decision.
“Please stay home and take a moment tomorrow to light a candle, know you are loved and say a prayer for any and all in need,” read a tweet from Pacific Beach United Methodist, which canceled its Sunday services at 9:38 p.m. on Saturday.
Total Deliverance Worship Center in La Mesa and the historic church at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside were closed.
Others remained open. Sacred Heart Church of Ocean Beach announced Saturday that Sunday Masses would still be offered — and that its Parish Hall would be open as a shelter for 24 hours starting at 7 a.m. — but advised people to stay home if it would be dangerous to attend.
Flood Church in Grantville, Rock Church in Point Loma and The Refinery in Chula Vista were among those that still held services on Sunday.
12:13 PM August 20
Hello, humidity!
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Whew! Hilary is making it oppressively humid across San Diego County. San Diego Gas & Electric is reporting these levels:
Pine Hills, 100 percent
La Jolla Heights, 100 percent
Julian, 100 percent
Del Mar, 97 percent
Crestwood, 97 percent
San Pasqual Valley, 96 percent
Vista, 94 percent
Mission Valley, 94 percent
National City, 93 percent
12:09 PM August 20
It’s getting wet out there
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Here are rainfall totals through 10:15 a.m.:
- Mount Laguna, 1.82 inches
- Palomar Mountain, 0.74 inch
- Julian, 0.57 inch
- National City, 0.38 inch
- Oceanside, 0.36 inch
- Bonsall, 0.35 inch
- Carlsbad Airport, 0.35 inch
- Valley Center, 0.32 inch
- Fallbrook, 0.31 inch
- Encinitas, 0.26 inch
- Miramar, 0.29 inch
- San Diego International Airport, 0.25 inches
11:07 AM August 20
Light traffic on San Diego’s freeways as rain picks up
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
The public is clearly taking the storm warnings seriously. Shortly around 10 a.m. Caltrans web cameras showed very light traffic on San Diego County freeways. Click on https://ca-17.com/cameras/ca/11/I-8 to tap the cameras on Interstate 8, which is getting a lot of wind.
10:51 AM August 20
Public warned to stay away from San Diego River
By The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff
Forecasters are warning the public to stay away from the banks of the San Diego River in Mission Valley. The river is rising quickly and will be 3 feet deep by 2 p.m., 6.2 feet deep by 8 p.m., and 8.1 feet at 2 a.m. Monday. The river is expected to flood streets near the Fashion Valley shopping center.
