MADRID, 21 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Tropical storm Hilary has hit the southern US state of California on Monday, leaving behind “catastrophic” flooding, heavy rains and landslides in the first storm of its kind since Nora in 1997.
At least nine people have had to be rescued near a river in San Diego County, while rescue services have managed to free two people who remained trapped by floodwaters in Ventura County. Three more people have been rescued in Palm Springs.
The effects of the storm, which in the next few hours will move to the state of Nevada, have also been felt in Los Angeles, where a magnitude 5.1 earthquake has occurred. The authorities have decided to close schools and have opened shelters for the population, which remains alert to a possible evacuation order.
The tropical storm, with winds of up to 56 kilometers per hour and previously a Type 1 hurricane, has caused California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in order to support response efforts at the state level.
Shortly before, Hilary struck the peninsula of the Mexican state of Baja California, bordering the United States, on its way north, leaving at least one dead and causing severe flooding, according to CNN.
