Disaster record
Tropical Storm Hilary (August 2023) — Southern California / Southwest
Two years after the disaster 1 death $900 million
Summary
Tropical Storm Hilary hit Baja California on August 20, 2023, then moved into Southern California. It brought heavy rain, flooding, mudslides, and power outages to the desert Southwest. California issued its first tropical-storm watches.
NHC Tropical Cyclone Report (Feb 2024): one direct U.S. fatality (San Bernardino County, California). Unchanged through two-year cutoff.
Scientific attribution
Hilary dropped heavy rain on a hot, dry region. Scientists said very warm ocean water can feed storms like this and make extreme rain more likely. That does not mean climate change was the only cause. There was no World Weather Attribution study of this storm. The National Hurricane Center later said California’s impacts were post-tropical.
Aug 20, 2023 · Southern California, the desert Southwest, and Nevada · tropical storm / flash flooding
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Messaging tallies
About these tallies
“Core Democratic Officials reviewed” shows how many of the 54 Core Democratic Officials have been examined for this disaster. Scoring rules: Methods.
Democratic framing
Summary
One Core Democratic Official named this storm in the seven-day window. He did not connect it to climate change. He did not name Republican obstruction of climate action.
On August 22, Rep. Pete Aguilar joined an Inland Empire letter asking President Biden for federal disaster aid after Tropical Storm Hilary. He thanked Governor Newsom and first responders and said more help was needed. Reps. Norma Torres, Raul Ruiz, and Mark Takano signed the same letter. They are not Core Democratic Officials.
Sens. Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein named Hilary on August 28 and 29, after noon on August 27.
Statements
- Pete Aguilar (U.S. Representative (D-CA) — Chair, House Democratic Caucus) — Aug 22, 2023
Republican framing
Sen. Ted Cruz posted on August 21 about purported Los Angeles flooding from Hilary, including a fake shark-on-the-405 image, then a stay-safe follow-up. He named the storm. He did not mention climate change.
No other in-window Republican U.S. senator statement was found.
Statements
- Ted Cruz (U.S. Senator (R-TX)) — Aug 21, 2023
Sources
- Torres, Ruiz, Aguilar, and Takano Write Letter to President Biden Urging Him to Send Federal Disaster Assistance to Southern California — Office of U.S. Representative Norma Torres
- Ted Cruz duped by fake image of shark on flooded LA highway — The Guardian
- Hurricane Hilary Advisory Archive — NOAA / National Hurricane Center
- Rain from Tropical Storm Hilary lashes California and Mexico, swamping roads and trapping cars — Associated Press