Home Care In Hurricane, UT

Hurricane Hilary grew to a Category 4 storm Friday, putting parts of southern California under a tropical storm watch for the first time ever.

And as it moves across the Southwest, parts of California and Nevada could see multiple years’ worth of rain in a matter of days.

It’s still too early to tell exactly what impact the storm will have on Utah — but heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely across the state this weekend.

“For Utah, our biggest impacts are going to be the tremendous amount of moisture that’s moving north into the desert Southwest ahead of that hurricane,” said Christine Kruse, Salt Lake lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Heavy rain from Hilary could bring widespread flooding to Mexico’s Baja California state starting Friday and continuing into Sunday. The National Weather Service is expecting hurricane force winds in the area, which could impact much of southern California as well, spreading north during the weekend.

Utah is currently in a monsoon surge, mostly impacting southern parts of the state — Utah’s desert canyons, washes, national parks and other high risk areas could see flooding through Friday. That monsoon surge will transition into moisture from Hurricane Hilary on Saturday.

By Saturday evening, much of Utah will begin to see heavy rain — residents living east of the Wasatch Mountains along the western part of the state will see the most perception, Kruse said. The rain could persist until Tuesday, with thunderstorms.

If the moisture moves further into central and eastern Utah, that will likely result in unusually intense rain. It’s too early to tell what to expect, but Kruse said parts of Nevada and California could have a whopping two years worth of precipitation in one week.

“We’re talking about some pretty historic flooding potential there,” Kruse said.

She said it’s a low probability for that to happen in Utah, “but it’s something that we’re monitoring because it’s within the realm of possibility.” By Saturday afternoon, meteorologists should have a clear picture of what to expect in the Beehive State.

That means stay away from small streams, slot canyons, burned forests, normally dry washes and other places prone to flooding. The risk is heightened for places like Cedar City, which experienced heavy flooding on Thursday evening. Follow alerts from the Salt Lake National Weather Service office to stay updated.

And if your street does flood, remember the saying “turn around, don’t drown.” It only takes six inches of water to move a car — a foot of water can push a car into the wash, a potentially fatal situation that could require a rescue.

After making landfall on Texas as a tropical storm, the weather system known as Harold weakened to a tropical depression but still carried the risk of heavy rain until Wednesday, forecasters said.

The storm made landfall on Padre Island, the National Hurricane Center said at 10 a.m. local time (11 a.m. ET), with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

By Tuesday evening, all tropical storm warnings had been discontinued. But around 2 to 4 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of up to 6 inches, were forecast through Wednesday, the center said.

Storm tracker: Tropical Depression Harold

This map will update about every three hours with the latest storm projections. Click or tap a storm location to see more about the forecast.

Tuesday 2 p.m.

Tuesday 11 p.m.

Leaflet | © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Notes: Data as of Aug. 22, 5:03 p.m. ET. Read more about the hurricane wind scale. The cone represents the storm center's probable path. Each edge of the cone represents the widest likelihood of the storm's actual path. The wider the cone, the less confidence forecasters have in where the storm will go. Note that it's possible for areas outside the cone to experience severe weather.

Source: National Hurricane Center

Graphic: Jiachuan Wu, Joe Murphy and Nigel Chiwaya / NBC News

A flood advisory Tuesday evening was issued for most of Zavala, Maverick and Dimmit counties, the National Weather Service for the Austin area said. Around 4 inches of rain fell there, it said.

Mexico was more likely to experience flooding from remnants of Harold, with 4 to 6 inches of rain and locally up to 10 inches possible there through Wednesday.

Harold will bring some much-needed rain to drought-stricken Texas. While the heaviest rain won’t reach the parts of Texas that need it most, the showers and clouds associated with the system will bring a brief reprieve to the excessive heat in cities like Austin, Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of state emergency response resources and activated the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to Level 2, or "elevated response conditions," ahead of Harold's arrival.

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“Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources to South Texas as tropical storm conditions impact the region this week,” Abbott said.

"I encourage Texans to remain weather-aware and heed the guidance of state and local officials and emergency management personnel as they work together to keep communities safe," he said.

While flood alerts remained for areas affected by Harold, heat advisories or excessive heat alerts covered the eastern part of Texas.

Overall, a huge swath of the U.S. was under such advisories or warnings Tuesday evening from Texas to Georgia and north to South Dakota and Indiana, according to the weather service.

More than 70 million people were under heat advisories, and 75 million were under excessive heat warnings, it said on its website.

Harold follows storms Emily and Franklin and tropical depression Gert, with Franklin expected to reach the Hispaniola, including Haiti and the Dominican Republic, by Wednesday, the hurricane center said.

In the West, Tropical Storm Hilary struck California, the first tropical storm to do so in decades. It brought heavy flooding, mudflows and sinkholes to desert cities and smashed rainfall records.

Phil Helsel

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Kathryn Prociv

Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC News.

Chantal Da Silva contributed.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Not much has changed in the track of Hurricane Hilary.

By Saturday morning, we were seeing drier air being ingested into the western half of the storm.

As it heads north into cooler waters, it will begin to weaken. Hilary is forecasted to make landfall as a low-end Category 1 hurricane or tropical storm near the northern portion of Baja California towards San Diego by Sunday afternoon and evening. Around 8:30 a.m. Aug. 19, storms on the northern edge of the hurricane were already visibly pushing into the southwest desert of California and Arizona.

MORE On Hurricane Hilary:

The main impacts from Hilary are expected to be inland flooding as this massive storm will likely interact with the mountainous desert terrain of the area. Places such as Palm Springs may see two-to-three years worth of rain in just a couple days. Flash flooding, debris and mud flows will be expected in the coming days. The wind threat will likely be contained to the immediate coast as well as in some mountain passes of southern California.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR UTAH:

Areas under a Flood Watch, including Nevada, the West Desert, and southwest Utah will likely see the most substantial impact from this storm, especially on and near mountainous terrain. Officials of the National Weather Service said that flooding will likely peak through the weekend and into the first half of next week. Officials advised to avoid slot canyons, dry washes, as well as all other low-lying areas, at these are at high risk for flooding.

The low pressure to our west and high pressure to our east region means continued summer-monsoon thunderstorms out of the south.

Anomalous moisture, in the atmosphere, dragged in by Hilary is expected to cause some thunderstorms to produce isolated, brief heavy rain threats across much of the state through the end of the weekend. NWS stated that Utah will see the heaviest rainfall amounts as a result of Hilary on Sunday, Aug. 20, and Monday, Aug. 21. Amounts are expected to vary between 1 and 3 inches across the state, with the possibility of higher amounts in southern and central Utah.

Sustained 25 to 3 5mph winds on Monday will also be expected as the system passes to our west. There is a very good chance for additional Flash Flood Warnings to pop up during the afternoon times through Monday.

A HIGH WIND WATCH has been posted for Monday for the western half of Utah where we could see those 35 to 35 mph winds and gusts as high as 60 mph.

A FLOOD WATCH is in effect for much of southern and central Utah through at least Saturday evening. Some northern and northeastern mountains are also under this watch.

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While we have another day of intense heat here in North Texas, a tropical storm will be moving onshore down in South Texas Tuesday.

Tropical Storm Harold made landfall at about 10 a.m. Tuesday near South Padre Island and spread heavy rain along the coast from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. Some locations were expected to receive 3-5 inches of rain, which could result in localized flooding. Winds will be below tropical storm force, around 40 mph, which could still cause some power disruptions, but widespread outages are unlikely.

All of the rain associated with the storm is expected to stay well south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Central Texas and will mainly impact the Rio Grande Valley.

Harold is moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph and the NWS said the storm is expected to continue following that track inland over southern Texas and northern Mexico. Steady weakening is expected and Harold is expected to become a tropical depression later Tuesday.

The NWS said Tropical Storm Harold is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated higher amounts of 6 inches, across South Texas through early Wednesday.

The storm is also expected to hit portions of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon in Mexico.

Those in the path of the storm are warned to prepare for emergencies including power outages, excessive rainfall, dangerous flooding, wind damage and the possibility of tornadoes.

Tropical Storm Franklin was expected to make landfall on the island of Hispaniola Wednesday and bring heavy rains of up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in isolated areas. Franklin is expected to turn north into the Atlantic and not enter the Gulf of Mexico.

HAROLD BRINGS RAIN, COOLER TEMPS TO SOUTH TEXAS

Thousands of homes and businesses in the South Texas city of Corpus Christi are without power Tuesday after the state's first tropical storm of the hurricane season made landfall, bringing strong winds, welcome rain and cooler temperatures following months of hot, dry weather.

Tropical Storm Harold, which never reached hurricane status, made landfall about 10 a.m. near South Padre Island on the Texas Gulf coast, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Joshua Schroeder in nearby Brownsville.

"Although it formed over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it moved so quickly it just didn't have time to intensify into a hurricane," Schroeder said.

Schroeder said the rain is mostly welcome.

"There's pockets of heavy rainfall, 2 to 4 inches and isolated areas are seeing up to 6 inches," Schroeder said. "But we've been very dry down here in South Texas and this (rain) will be beneficial."

Dry conditions have prevailed in South Texas for months and in some areas for years, according to Cory Mottice, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS in Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi has received about 3 inches of rain so far and it has been in a drought for about two months, Mottice said, referring to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Over in Webb County, which includes the city of Laredo, which has been in a drought for two years, little more than a quarter of an inch of rain fell, he said.

The National Weather Service recorded winds of up to 50 mph in Corpus Christi.

The storm knocked out power for about 11,000 customers in the city of around 300,000 people about 150 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, and customers in Laredo, Aransas Pass, Port Lavaca, and San Benito were also experiencing outages, according to AEP Texas.

The power company has deployed some 1,500 workers across South Texas to repair service lines, spokesperson Omar Lopez told The Associated Press.

John Cangialosi, senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami described Harold as a mid-grade tropical storm.

"This is not a minor event, but not a major event for the area," Cangialosi said. "It is moving quickly, so it's not going to produce copious amounts of rainfall and flooding, and there are going to be gusty winds, but we're not going to see hurricane-force winds."

Late morning, the storm was moving northwest across the mainland at about 20 mph.

In Mexico, 4 to 6 inches of rain was forecast with isolated areas expected to receive up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in the state of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon through Wednesday.

Harold's rain and cloud cover also delivered slight respite from the sweltering heat.

In Brownsville and elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley, temperatures have climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 consecutive days. But that was expected to end, at least temporarily, with highs in the more typical low-to-mid 90s through the remainder of the week.

San Antonio - 250 miles to the north - also was seeing rain and temperatures in the 90s after seeing an average daily high of over 104 degrees Fahrenheit thus far in August.

On the other side of the U.S., Hilary on Sunday became the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years before losing force as it pushed across the Southwest. Crews were mopping up the mud and clearing roads Tuesday.

Hilary first slammed ashore on Mexico's arid Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane, causing one death before becoming a tropical storm. No death, serious injuries or extensive damage was reported in California but the storm dumped record rainfall. Death Valley had it's rainiest day on record Sunday when 2.2 inches (5.6 centimeters) fell, according to John Adair, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.

TEXAS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy state emergency response resources and activate the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response Conditions) ahead of landfall in South Texas on Tuesday morning.

"Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources to South Texas as tropical storm conditions impact the region this week," said Abbott. "Ahead of heavy rainfall and dangerous winds expected tomorrow, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the State Operations Center to ensure the swift deployment of support and resources to affected communities. I encourage Texans to remain weather-aware and heed the guidance of state and local officials and emergency management personnel as they work together to keep communities safe."

The following resources have been deployed by TDEM:

HURRICANE — Like most who live in Southern Utah, residents who live in the Hurricane Valley would like to preserve a small-town atmosphere. Yet the town has nearly doubled in size within the last 10 years, according to census data.

In 2010, the US Census Bureau reported 13,748 residents living in Hurricane. In the latest data showing the St. George metropolitan area leading the nation in growth, the small town is included with 23,077 who live in the valley.

St. George News asked the Hurricane City Council candidates in the upcoming election about their plans for growth, maintaining public awareness on critical issues and the Washington County Water Conservancy District rebate program.

What follows are the candidates’ bios with their direct responses, which have been lightly edited for style and clarity.

The incumbents

David Sanders is one of two incumbents seeking another term. As a lifelong resident of Hurricane, he stayed to raise a family and spent more than 35 years officiating high school sports.

Public relations: With Hurricane covering 54 square miles, having neighborhood town hall meetings would allow citizens to have dialogue with the City Council.

Traffic: There are master-planned roads in which we need to prioritize and budget. With roads needed and the budget to build them limited, thinking outside the box to fund them would be a suggestion. Working with Utah Department of Transportation planners and our legislators concerning state Route 9 and state Route 7 improvements to keep traffic flowing on those routes. Sand Hollow is a State Park within Hurricane city limits and is strongly becoming one of the most highly visited. Access is from a city road, if we could get state assistance to improve that road it would be welcome.

Water rebate: I believe the rebate program would be a great aid to our citizens who want to participate. When it was voted on, some members of the Hurricane City Council wanted stipulations made by Washington County Water Conservancy District which came to an impasse. I supported the rebate program, but was not the prevailing side.

Joseph Prete moved to Hurricane eight years ago to raise his family. An estate attorney by profession, he is seeking a second term on the city council having been elected in 2020.

Public relations: Members of the community can participate in the political process in multiple ways — running for election, voting for their preferred candidates, attending public meetings, making public comments, rallying support for or against key issues, reaching out to elected representatives, etc. I love to see active public participation in the political process, and I enjoy discussing city issues with community members. While doing so, I strive to dutifully do what I believe is in the best interest of the entire community, without preferential treatment.

Traffic: The city has taken significant steps to reduce traffic congestion including construction of 2800 West and 700 West, which will soon provide two north-to-south corridors. Additional corridors are needed, and we need to widen some key roadways including Sand Hollow Road. Roads are very expensive and Hurricane comprises 54 square miles, so the City is always forced to prioritize available funds to the most pressing roadway projects. The City also pursues state and federal grants, when possible, to make our taxpayer money stretch further. Residents concerned about a particular roadway should raise the issue at a public meeting.

Water rebate: I am for the rebate program and many other efforts to promote water conservation. We have a very real water scarcity issue in Southern Utah and I support wise efforts to increase and conserve water including construction of new reservoirs, digging new wells, repair of leaking pipes, reuse of wastewater and reasonable conservation efforts/incentives.

Hurricane City Recorder Cindy Beteag told St. George News that current Hurricane City Councilman Doug Heidemann is not running for reelection, leaving a third seat open on the council.

New challengers

Drew Ellerman moved to the Hurricane Valley in 2004 with his wife and children. He has spent most of the last 28 years as a city planner in Arizona and is the current Washington City Community Development Director since 2007.

Public relations: First of all, I want the citizens to know my phone will also be on to receive their calls concerning any issue in the city. I also plan on personally getting in touch with citizens that will be individually affected by some of the big decisions that may have to be made over the coming years. I will be willing to hold ‘cottage meetings’ in specific neighborhoods where certain issues/decisions may warrant extra dialogue or discussion.

Traffic: Fortunately or unfortunately, growth is going to come and add to our already heavily used streets. We will undoubtedly have to find alternative routes throughout the city to accommodate the demand. Certain streets will have to be upgraded (or widened) in order to meet those demands. The city already has a master roadway plan, we will just have to implement the improvements of certain streets sooner than later. I will pursue those tough decisions to only affect the least amount of citizens as possible.

Water rebate: This is difficult, I admit I love beautiful green grass — comes from my baseball-playing addiction. But, I am also fully aware of the need to protect our water supply which supersedes my love for acres of green grass. I appreciate that the program exists to help offset property owners’ costs to go to an alternate landscape design that can still beautify their homes and businesses and our community as a whole.

Amy Werrett has lived in Hurricane for 17 years and has worked as a speech and language pathologist for 26 years. She has worked in home health, hospital and private clinic settings, as well as 15 years with the Washington County School District and as a vice chair for her local precinct, and a county/state delegate.

Public relations: If elected, I will be available to any resident to listen, talk and try to help and understand all sides and concerns before voting on any particular issue or action. I will seek clarification when needed. I know many in Hurricane feel marginalized and I would like to be approachable and welcoming to all. As a practicing speech/language pathologist for more than two decades, I have learned the importance of how to listen and communicate effectively. I help children learn to advocate and communicate for themselves. I will be a voice of common sense and help advocate for the residents of Hurricane.

Traffic: Hurricane is growing rapidly and covers a large geographic area. The Southern Parkway in Hurricane is a great example of being able to quickly connect the north and south parts of Hurricane. The city needs to be proactive with planning for growth and find innovative solutions to provide better access across town for all residents. There are a couple of intersections in Hurricane that are particularly dangerous and busy. We should consider many alternatives, including looking at the timing of traffic lights, improving crosswalk safety and good lighting at night. Getting ahead of growth and being proactive instead of reactive is the key for the city council. There is a master plan that has been through several drafts and revisions with input from the planning commission, city council, city staff and residents. It is important to stick to that plan as much as possible and carefully vet any reasons for exceptions to it.”

Water rebate: The rebate program needs to be better advertised. My family recently tore out some of our grass to put in more drought-resistant landscaping in our backyard and I wish we had known about the rebate program before we did it. I am in favor of the program because it is voluntary, not mandatory, and allows for private property rights, yet provides incentives and encourages responsible water conservation efforts.

Clark Fawcett previously spent 37 years as the city manager in Hurricane before retiring in 2021. He is a certified public accountant earning degrees from Dixie State and Brigham Young University.

Public relations: I put together a shared Google doc for my campaign with a QR code. In the document, I shared my views on a number of topics. I would like to continue to use that document after being elected. I would make sure the code was available and each week I would write a little about important decisions and upcoming events.

Traffic: Traffic is definitely a negative result of growth. The city streets are still pretty good, except for those going to and from school at the beginning and end of school. We have a great master plan with designated roads. If the plans are followed and the roads are built, I feel pretty good about traffic as we grow. The biggest problem I see is the state highway. I know plans for the highway going west from 2600 West will be a grade-separated road with exits. This will greatly improve the flow with no lights and should help. Following the plans already in place will be the key.

Water rebate: One of my big concerns has been how the government will handle water conservation. I know we need to conserve, but I don’t want to eliminate all my landscape so more people can locate here. I am in favor of the government offering to buy the water, not steal it. I think the program offers money for landscape elimination. I don’t know the full details; it may not be enough. But as long as the citizens are given the option to eliminate landscape in exchange for payment, not being forced to do it, I am in favor.

Stephen Lemmon is a lifelong resident and business owner in the Hurricane Valley. Lemmon did not respond to emailed questions or phone calls from St. George News in time for this publication.

Early voting

Dixie Convention Center, 1835 Convention Center Drive, St. George.

Hurricane Community Center, 63 S. 100 West, Hurricane.

Valid voter identification is required. Registration by provisional ballot will be available at both locations.

Election Day

The Utah municipal general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 21. A polling location for all Washington County precincts will be located at:

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for voters to return their ballots or vote in person. Voters must be a citizen of the United States; residents of the voting precinct in which they are voting; and 18 years of age or older by the general election in order to participate. Voter identification will be required.

Visit https://vote.utah.gov/ for more information, or call Washington County Elections at (435)301-7248.

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