According to Reuters, severe flash floods occurred in the East and West of Los Angeles County on August 20 when Hurricane Hilary attacked the state of California - USA. Previously, Hurricane Hilary swept through the Baja Peninsula - Mexico with deadly force, causing flash floods, heavy flooding and killing one person.
Hilary was classified by the Americans as a "tropical storm", equivalent to a level 12 storm or below on the Beaufort scale used by Vietnam.
Vehicles cross a basin where floodwaters have almost reached the road surface on August 20 in Palm Desert, California - Photo: AP
According to weather forecasters, the total rainfall that the mountain and desert areas in California will receive from this storm is up to 12-25 cm, equivalent to the rainfall of desert areas in an entire year.
San Bernardino County ordered evacuations in several mountain and valley towns, where images on social media showed muddy waters, rocks and fallen trees.
In western Ventura County, the National Weather Service warned of life-threatening flooding with up to 2 inches (5 cm) of rain falling in just two hours. Several cars were stranded in the Spanish Hills area, where firefighters had to rescue them.
According to CNN, the storm entered California on the evening of August 20 (US time), causing flooded streets and many power lines to fall, and rescue forces were called everywhere.
The Los Angeles Unified School District - the second largest in the US - also closed on August 21, along with two other large school districts in the area.
Muddy water and debris also closed several highways in Southern California. More than 4,500 flights were delayed or canceled across the United States on the evening of August 20.
Earthquake adds to fear
Just before Hurricane Hilary hit, Southern California was rocked by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake (on the US Moment earthquake scale).
According to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was in the city of Ojai, between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, along the Sisar fault.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage but shaking was felt across Los Angeles.
The earthquake lasted for several tens of seconds and was followed by at least two aftershocks - measuring 3.1 and 3.6 magnitude.
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