Cleanup Efforts Underway and DWP Working On Restoring Power
By Dolores Quintana
Tropical Storm Hilary spared Los Angeles from any fatalities, injuries, or significant damage, confirmed Mayor Karen Bass via today’s press conference. Following the storm’s passage through the area on Sunday, Mayor Bass provided an update on the storm’s status during a Monday morning press conference.
Local officials in Los Angeles City and County have commenced cleanup efforts. The weather in Los Angeles cleared on Monday morning, and all remnants of Tropical Storm Hilary have cleared from the area.
As of 8:18 p.m. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power stated via Twitter, “Crews continue to work around the clock to restore outages from #hurricanehilary. As of 7:00 pm, ~6,350 customers are without power out of 1.5 million. We’ve restored power to ~45,175 customers since the start of the storm. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Los Angeles schools are set to resume regular in-person classes starting Tuesday after transitioning to remote learning only on Monday. With approximately 80% of Los Angeles’ student body living at or below the poverty line, LAUSD passed out grab-and-go meals at 13 distribution centers to ensure that no child goes hungry.
On Sunday, Metro’s homeless outreach teams played a crucial role in assisting 158 individuals experiencing homelessness in finding shelter for the night. As the cyclone approached Southern California, the National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded it from a hurricane to a tropical storm and eventually to a post-tropical storm. Post-tropical cyclones possess even less strength than tropical storms but still bring heavy winds and rainfall.
On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for certain parts of Southern California due to the threat of flash floods. Several daily rainfall records have been shattered on Sunday due to the storm’s impact.
Mayor Bass made note of the duties of city workers who will be repairing damage from the storm. Via Twitter, the Mayor said, “Thank you to our City crews that are assessing and responding to damage from the tropical storm. Please remember to slow down, look out for hazards, and report any blocked roads or street flooding to @MyLA311.”
Tragically, there has been one reported casualty attributed to Tropical Storm Hilary. On Saturday, an individual drowned in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia, underscoring the potential dangers associated with such weather events.
