Tropical storm Hilary

THANKS FOR THE SANDBAGS, NOW WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THEM AFTER HILARY

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 3, 2023 (San Diego) -- Thousands of San Diegans fortified their homes and property with sandbags before the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Hilary. More than 100,000 bags were gathered and used across the county.  But now the storm has passed and clear skies have returned.  That has led many to ask, “What should I do with the sandbags now?”


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HOW WET AND WINDY WAS IT?

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Michael Adam Cohen, award-winning entertainment reporter and photographer: taken near I-8 near Del Cerro

August 21, 2023 (San Diego) – Tropical Storm Hilary has moved northeast out of San Diego County.  The storm brought high winds and heavy drenching in many local communities, while others had only moderate rainfall. The storm  sparked spectacular lightning storms over East County’s mountains and even prompted a tornado warning for Alpine, Descanso, and other areas.

Though no tornados are known to have touched down, Michael Cohen photographed a funnel cloud near I-8 from his Del Cerro home.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: ELECTRICAL STORM LIGHTS UP COWLES MOUNTAIN

August 20, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) –Michael Adam Cohen, award-winning entertainment reporter and photographer, shot these surreal images of a lightning storm over Cowles Mountain,  as Tropical Storm Hilary drenched our region.

The first image, viewed from  Mt. Helix,  makes Cowles Mountain appear to be an island floating in a foggy sea. In reality, those are clouds obscuring Interstate 8.

The second images shows  multilpe lightning bolts creating a dramatic light show in the skies above Cowles Mountain, which is located in  Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego.


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I-8 CLOSED AT IN-KO-PAH DUE TO BOULDERS BLOCKING FREWEAY

Update:  The freeway has now reopened, after Cal Trans removed boulders from road and unstable rocks above.

By Miriam Raftery

August 20, 2023 (San DIego’s East County) – The California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) reports that Interstate-8 is closed at In-Ko-Pah, due to massive rock slide.

The rockslide is blocking the primary highway connecting San Diego and Imperial Counties.  Ava Thatsme on Facebook posted a photo of a boulder she said was on the I-8 grade.(photo, left)


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WATER RELEASED FROM EL CAPITAN RESERVOIR IN LAKESIDE AS PRECAUTION

 

By Miriam Raftery

File photo: El Captain reservoir and dam, by BIlly Ortiz

August 20, 2023 (Lakeside) – The City of San Diego has announced that today it has begun releasing water from El Capitan Reservoir in Lakeside, in anticipation of a potential spill due to Tropical Storm Hilary. 

Flowing water will be visible downstream from the dam in El Monte Valley and beyond. The notice is posted on the city’s webpage for El Capitan Reservoir.

El Capitan is an aging dam made of rocks, built in 1934. The dam is 237 feet tall and 1,170 feet wide, but no longer meets state standards, ECM warned back in 2017.

The aging dam is considered in poor condition and would pose a high risk of loss of life downstream if it were kept full and should rupture. Last year, NPR reported that El Capitan dam “is capable of storing over 36 billion gallons of water — enough to supply every resident in San Diego for most of a year. Today, it's three-quarters empty — intentionally kept low because of concerns it could fail under the strain of too much water.”


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

WARNING ISSUED FOR RESIDENTS DOWNSTREAM FROM LOVELAND RESERVOIR DUE TO TROPICAL CYCLONE HILARY

 

By Miriam Raftery

By Miriam Raftery

File photo of past spillover at Loveland Dam, via Sweetwater Water Authority

August 20, 2023 (Alpine) – Warning letters have been sent by Sweetwater Water Authority to residents downstream from Loveland Reservoir, in anticipation of “unplanned water release, or spills”  due to anticipated heavy rains from tropical storm Hilary. “These potential unplanned water release, together with expected abundant storm runoff, could cause flooding in areas downstream,” the district’s website cautions.

Residents downstream are urged to relocate livestock, equipment and materials out of the floodway, to inspect their properties, and clear critical culverts as soon as possible to reduce potential property damage.

Flooding could continue even after Monday, when rains are forecast to end, due to storm runoff into the river.


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COUNTY OFFERS SANDBAGS AND DRIVING TIPS AS STORM APPROACHES


By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

Weather forecasters say Tropical Cyclone Hilary could bring rains and wind to San Diego County and Southern California, and County and CAL FIRE officials are offering advice and free sandbags for people living in the unincorporated County.


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