Tropical Storm Kay brought sizzling temperatures, intense rain and winds topping 100 mph to some parts of Southern California, sparking concerns about coastal flooding and mudslides in fire zones.
The storm system churning along the northern coast of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula is expected to deliver heavy rains, flash flooding, strong winds and muggy conditions through at least Saturday.
Record heat is fueling dangerous fires across California, pushing firefighters to the limit and creating ideal conditions for more blazes to spark and spread.
Rain was scattered across San Diego County in the morning, and showers were expected to reach Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties by the afternoon, the weather service said. Heavy rains with possible thunderstorms could be on tap for the afternoon.
So far, San Diego County had received the biggest hit, with heavy rain and wind gusts up over 100 mph.
The intense winds stressed power lines and toppled trees from Valley Center to Alpine. Roadways became clogged, and some school districts closed for the day. The top wind speed was clocked at 109 mph at Cuyamaca Peak, about nine miles south of Julian.
High temperatures that have baked Southern California amid a prolonged heat wave began to drop by noon. The National Weather Service said that Kay, which was about 140 miles south of San Diego at noon Friday, was about to turn left into the Pacific and would likely fizzle out after an impressive run along the coast of Baja California.
Forecasters say moisture from the storm still could drop about an inch of rain along the San Diego County coast, twice that amount in the valleys and 5 to 7 inches in the mountains.
The rain has the potential to disrupt or even cancel the Padre’s home game against the Dodgers. And the threat of foul weather led singer Alicia Keys to postpone her sold-out Friday night concert at San Diego State University.
Elsewhere, the rains were also expected. Orange County is likely to get about a half-inch, while the mountains in Riverside County could get up to 7 inches. Shane Reichardt, a spokesperson for the Riverside County’s Emergency Management Department, said the storm has escalated the potential for a public safety power shutoff. It also repositioned threats from fires to include flash flooding.
“When you look at everything that we have, with the heat we’ve had, the power concerns we’ve had, the storm, the potential for public safety shutoffs, that creates a lot of anxiety. It is a lot for the community to keep taking in,” Reichardt said.
The low desert areas, including the Coachella Valley, are also vulnerable. A flash flood watch is in effect for all Southern California mountains, valleys and deserts, meteorologists said. Parts of the desert, including Mount Laguna, Ocotillo and areas near the Imperial Valley are under a flash flood warning.
Tropical Storm Kay’s winds are ramping up, with gusts of 90 to 100 mph expected Friday afternoon and evening. A high-wind warning is in effect until midnight throughout the Inland Empire, the mountains of Riverside and San Diego counties and the San Diego coast and valleys. Orange County and the San Bernardino mountains and deserts are under a wind advisory. Even coastal and valley areas could see up to 60 mph winds.
“It will be noticeable,” said Elizabeth Schenk, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Diego. A gale warning was in effect for coastal waters, with seas as a high as 12 feet. Orange county surf conditions could reach six feet. Strong currents are expected through at least Sunday.
The Fairview fire, which has burned 27,463 acres and is only 5% contained, could intensify because of the expected strong winds and storms from Tropical Storm Kay, fire officials said.
In National City, Courtney Jones has been tracking Kay on her phone. She grew up with storms on the East Coast.
“I was kind of expecting to wake up and look outside and see the trees bending and leaves everywhere, loose debris, but when I looked out, all I saw was puddles and people driving a little more slowly,” said Jones, 28. She was hoping the rain would alleviate the heat, but the conditions were still unbearable early Friday, what she and her family call “dog breath weather”: hot, muggy and sticky.
Daye Salani zipped out of his house in downtown San Diego without his umbrella and jacket when he left for work Friday morning. If this were any other day, Salani would have made sure to bring both items. But not today.
“If I leave work and it is pouring, I don’t mind getting soaked,” Salani said, adding that it’s “been a minute” since it’s bucketed down on him. This is a rare occasion. “I’m inviting it.”
The strong gusts could make the already critical fire situation more dire. Near Hemet, the Fairview fire had exploded to more than 27,000 acres Friday — becoming this year’s largest wildfire — with only 5% containment.
Heather Leer was traveling for work this week and on a layover at the Denver airport, hoping not to encounter any weather-related disruptions so she could get back to her house in Hemet, inside the evacuation grid for the Fairview fire. Her husband, who remained at their home, had not reported any rain Friday morning, but Leer was worried about the winds aggravating the fire and challenging containment efforts. The rain could lead to flash floods and mudslides.
“It is a huge concern,” said Leer, 41. “We have never seen so many things, one on top of each other, happening that could potentially change our lives forever.”
In Imperial, Jorge Reyes said the rain started early Friday. It’s humid, he said, but it doesn’t feel anywhere as hot as the triple digits Imperial registered over Labor Day weekend.
Flash flood warnings have been issued during past monsoon seasons, but he said this is the first time he can recall one for September — or really any rain at all during this month in a calendar year.
“We don’t get rain all the time, and sometimes when there is rain, it goes around us in Yuma area or other cities,” said Reyes, 45.
The storm is not expected to bring significant rain to Los Angeles County and the surrounding areas, which are likely to stay dry most of Friday, although some rain bursts and thunderstorms could develop by the evening.
Still, Los Angeles International Airport announced on Twitter that because of wind conditions, it would shift operations to have aircrafts depart from the east and arrive from the west. There were few delays, with “99% of our schedule on time so far today,” LAX said.
Meteorologists have issued a flash flood watch for L.A. and Ventura counties, as well as the Antelope Valley. Forecasters are particularly concerned about Catalina Island, which is under a coastal flooding advisory.
Southern California last felt the effects of a tropical storm in 1997, when Tropical Storm Nora caused flooding, power disruptions and traffic crashes, as well as destroyed several homes in Orange County.
Despite the coming rain, excessive heat remained an issue Friday. The temperature in downtown Los Angeles was already at 80 degrees by 9 a.m., said Dave Bruno with the weather service’s Oxnard bureau. Most valley and foothill areas did not drop below 90 overnight.
In this once-in-a-millennium drought, a lawn evangelist like Jim Baird seems as heretical a sight in Los Angeles as an Angels hat at Dodger Stadium.
Storm clouds could prevent record-breaking heat, but temperatures still could reach 100 degrees, even near the coast, forecasters said.
The Inland Empire and Orange County could reach highs from the upper 90s to triple digits, while San Diego County will likely stay in the low 90s.
But a cool-down is coming. “Today will be the last of the extreme days,” Bruno said.
Gary Robbins and Teri Figueroa of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.
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