Waves, winds batter Delaware beaches as communities see coastal ...

Editor's note: This story and headlines have been updated to correctly reflect the warning for Delaware. Much of the state is under a coastal flood warning.

Delaware saw a wet and windy Saturday as then-Tropical Storm Ophelia headed its way.

Delaware and other parts of the East Coast were hit with rain and strong gusty winds Saturday, expected to last through the evening and into parts of Sunday. The storm is in effect from northeast North Carolina and includes parts of Maryland, Virginia and Fenwick Island as it continues northward, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm made landfall on the coast of North Carolina near Emerald Isle on Saturday morning and moved inland across the state, according to forecasters with the National Hurricane Center.

At 7:44 p.m., the center said that Ophelia had slowed to become a tropical depression, which is a weak form of a tropical storm, and all storm surge and tropical storm warnings had been discontinued.

Heavy rain began early Saturday morning, with National Weather Service forecasters predicting another round later in the day. Between 2 to 3 inches of rain are expected in the Delaware area. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, Harbeson recorded the highest rainfall total across the state with 3.64 inches, according to the Delaware Environmental Observing System. Close behind were nearby areas of Stockley and Dagsboro.

New Castle County reported far less, with Newark reporting about 1.5 inches of rain as of 6 p.m. Saturday.

The worst impacts of the storm were expected along the Delaware beaches and the Jersey shore Saturday night, especially around high tide and in the hours after. Wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph, according to the weather service, which could make it more difficult for water to recede and flow back out to sea.

Here's a look at what happened throughout Delaware on Saturday.

WHAT TO KNOW:Ophelia causes coastal flood warning for southern Delaware, New Jersey

Bayside developments, mobile home parks see usual flooding

Waters were slow to recede post-high tide Saturday night, leaving bayside developments with the flooding that often comes with big storm surges.

North Drive in West Bay Park was completely flooded out as a person waded through the water toward the tiny homes set up across from the marina around 5 p.m. Saturday.

Long Neck Road was also closed at Fairfield due to water on the roadway.

In the Angola area of Lewes, Bookhammer Landing Road was also flooded. There are about 40 homes beyond a sign touting Joy Beach, with Rehoboth Bay gray but visible in the distance at the end of the road.

Delaware beaches swamped post-high tide

High tide hit the Delaware beaches at 3 p.m. Saturday, but waves showed no signs of receding by 4:30 p.m.

Gusty winds were expected to remain in the region through the evening, which could leave the coastline facing high waters into the evening.

Flooding, road closures hit Delaware beaches

About 2 p.m. Saturday, as Delaware beaches prepped for an extremely high tide amid the storm, the parking lot at Savannah Beach in Lewes was closed and filled with sand. Police vehicles blocked the entrance to the parking lot at the beach located at the end of Savannah Road.

On Lewes Beach, waves crashed and covered the beach by 2 p.m. except for a small slice next to the jetty which was quickly disappearing.

At about 6:30 p.m., Route 1 south (Coastal Highway) was closed at the south end of Dewey Beach.

High tide is expected to peak just before 3 p.m. Saturday.

Delaware Department of Transportation traffic cameras near the Indian River Inlet did not show any Route 1 flooding as of 2:10 p.m. Saturday. One camera did show multiple onlookers braving the wind along the beach for photos.

Storm tracker Delaware

Here's the latest radar for where the storm is moving throughout Delaware.

National Guard mobilizing in Delaware

The Delaware National Guard was activated as a result of the storm, according to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. They were to be in place by 1 p.m. Saturday to aid in storm response, and additional resources were standing by across the state to respond as needed.

Areas of major flooding concern in the state, according to DEMA, include low-lying coastal areas in Kent County, as well as the Long Neck and Oak Orchard areas in Sussex County.

Closings due to the storm

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control closed campgrounds in coastal areas Saturday, according to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. Some Sussex County mobile home parks also had power shut off to prevent transformer inundation.

Rainfall totals across the state

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the highest rainfall estimate over the past 24 hours was recorded in Dagsboro with 2.72 inches, according to the Delaware Environmental Observing System.

The system's data also reported the following findings during the past 24 hours:

Delmar: 2.47 inches

Claymont: 1.10 inches

Bethany Beach: 2.07 inches

Rehoboth Beach: 1.96 inches

Dover: 1.59 inches

Wilmington: 1.20 inches

Seaford: 0.92 inches

Newark: 1.48 inches

Hockessin: 1.29 inches

Street flooding in Bethany Beach

Accuweather reports that several streets in Bethany Beach have been flooded, with some barriers being knocked down by the wind.

Accuweather's Bill Wadell was live from the north side of Bethany Beach Saturday morning, standing in a street covered with water. He also shared video from before sunrise of waves and wind hammering the boardwalk in both Bethany and Rehoboth Beach.

Gusty winds battering Delaware beaches

Winds were strongest in Lewes on Saturday morning, peaking at 64 mph as of 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Gusts also peaked at 58 mph in Dewey Beach Saturday morning, the weather service said.

Power outages popping up across Delaware

As of Saturday morning, at least 4,000 customers have lost power in Delaware, especially in Sussex County where the majority of the outages occurred, according to poweroutage.us.

Live cameras from the Delaware beaches show waves and heavy winds battering the coastline.

Will the heavy rain and wind mean flooding?

Yes. Coastal flooding hit the area Saturday evening and was expected Sunday for the Delaware beaches and coastal New Jersey. Flooding could also affect parts of Maryland's Eastern Shore, as the storm continues to go north.

Downed trees and power lines resulting in localized power outages are also possible, according to the weather service.

On Saturday, heavy rain will be accompanied by breezy temperatures near 64 degrees in the Delaware area. Rain is expected to last into Sunday, according to the NWS.

Weekend forecast

Strong winds are expected from mid-morning through early Saturday noon. Gusty winds of 30 to 45 mph in most parts of Delaware will continue Saturday night but not be as strong. Temperatures will drop to around 59 degrees Saturday night.

The weather service predicts rain to last through Sunday morning with northeast winds around 15 mph. However, rain is expected to taper off Sunday night.

Ophelia: Watch live cams from Rehoboth Boardwalk, Lewes Yacht Club

This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.

Are you being impacted by the storm? Contact reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight.

Some Delaware beaches damaged by Tropical Storm Ophelia to be ...

Lewes, Broadkill and Delaware Seashore State Park were among the beaches that fared the worst from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia.

Fortunately, Lewes and Delaware Seashore are due for replenishment in the off-season. However, Broadkill has no relief scheduled, at least not yet.

"Along the Atlantic, the beach north of Indian River Inlet in Delaware Seashore State Park was hit hardest and was left in its most eroded state since Hurricane Sandy in 2012," said the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Jesse Hayden.

Storm moving up East Coast brings rain, possible flooding, more to ...

With the region welcoming fall in two days, it looks like Mother Nature was inspired by autumn’s arrival to give us an early look at what’s in store throughout the season.

First up? A rainy weekend in Delaware.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warns of gusty winds, heavy rain and high surf in the Southeast and southern Mid-Atlantic on Friday and into the weekend.

As a coastal storm moves up the East Coast, flooding, heavy rainfall, a high risk of rip currents and dangerous marine conditions are also forecast.

What will the weather be like in Delaware this weekend?

Friday through Sunday, the high temperature for each Delaware county will hover around the low 70s, followed by lows in the high 50s and low 60s.

Rain is expected to move into the state Friday night and continue through Sunday night. Thunderstorms and rainfall amounts up to two inches are possible.

On Monday, sunny skies are expected with temperatures in the low to mid-70s by day and high 50s by night.

Weather warnings to watch out for

Although there is a low probability of widespread hazardous weather over the weekend, there are few weather impacts around the state that you may want to keep in mind.

Kent County residents are warned of several possible instances of flooding Friday, especially in urban and poor-drainage areas and near particularly vulnerable small creeks and streams, according to NWS.

A gale watch remains in effect from Friday evening through late Saturday night for Delaware Bay waters north of East Point, New Jersey, to Slaughter Beach

Northeast winds between 20 knots and 30 knots of wind are possible, along with gusts up to 35 knots and the possibility of very rough waters.

Waters south of this are expected to see 20 knots to 30 knots of wind, with gusts up to 40 knots and the possibility of very rough waters.

Strong winds can cause hazardous seas, which can reduce visibility and capsize or damage vessels. Mariners are advised to alter plans to avoid these hazards and remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course or secure the vessel for severe wind and seas.

Beginning on Friday, Atlantic coastal and inland portions of Sussex County are cautioned of several possible instances of flooding, especially in urban and poor-drainage areas and near particularly vulnerable small creeks and streams.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.

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Likely to cost millions: Damage from Tropical Storm Isaias only ...

All was quiet on North Shore Drive in Milford on Wednesday afternoon, save for the hum of lawnmowers and the rustling of downed branches being shoved onto a trailer hooked to the back of a local businessman’s truck.

The day before, the small neighborhood — filled with manicured lawns and waterfront homes — looked very different. It buzzed with emergency vehicles responding to the first storm-related fatality the state has seen since Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Neighbors weren’t ready to talk about the woman killed on Tuesday by a falling tree branch from Tropical Storm Isaias, out of respect for the family. Another new resident wasn’t even aware of what had happened. And authorities have not yet released the woman’s name.

A RECAP OF THE STORM:'All hell started breaking loose:' Isaias spawns tornadoes, kills one in Delaware on Tuesday

Thousands of Delawareans on Tuesday were cleaning up and assessing the damage to their homes and cars from Isaias.

It will take days to know the true extent of the storm’s damage in Delaware and elsewhere along the coast, but the Delaware Emergency Management Agency compared Tuesday's storm to Tropical Storm Henri in 2003, which led to more than $16.1 million in damages in the First State alone.

“This is like the equivalent of several strong thunderstorms in a several-hour period,” said DEMA Director A.J. Schall. “It was disastrous and is a huge headache for those that are impacted.”

ISAIAS BY THE HOUR:Tornadoes spotted 4 times in Delaware; updated forecast; homes and cars destroyed

Based on preliminary reports, Schall estimates the storm may have caused more than $20 million in damages. The final number includes damage to the dozens of homes in Dover and New Castle County, as well as a school, that is now uninhabitable; debris cleanup; and damages to utility infrastructure like downed poles and wires.

It took nearly two weeks for Isaias to journey across the Atlantic Ocean before making landfall in North Carolina late Monday night, and it never became more than a low-level Category 1 storm. Yet it still wreaked havoc on multiple coastal states and impacted millions of residents along the East Coast.

“I think a lot of people think with tropical storms, ‘It’s not a hurricane; we don’t have to worry,'" said Delaware State Climatologist Daniel Leathers. "But there can still be huge impacts with a tropical storm of any strength, really."

The damage, he said, "really highlights the potential impacts even with ‘just’ a tropical storm.”

‘What else is 2020 gonna bring?’

In Middletown’s Summit Bridge Farms, a neighborhood with some of the most significant storm damage, residents dug through fallen trees Wednesday afternoon to find their belongings, which had been carried away by Isaias’ winds the day before.

If they were lucky, they found their yard decorations and deck furniture, sometimes houses away from their own. But some people had no idea where their lost items were carried when a tornado touched down in the area.

The homes were struck in a way that clearly outlined the path of the storm.

A crop field behind one resident’s house showed traces of the tornado’s path before it reached the neighborhood, where homes on either side of the path were minimally damaged, some escaping without any signs of wear.

But other houses were hit hard like the home of Amy Brennan. She was home when the tornado went through, her two teenage sons asleep on the second floor.

She said she heard rumbling and yelled for the boys to come down, one of whom did. When she next looked up, her 14-year-old son, Conner, was at the top of the stairs, just as the storm started to tear the second story off her home.

A SCHOOL HIT HARD:Delaware middle school condemned after taking damage from Tropical Storm Isaias

"Thank gosh it was only for a second," Brennan said. Conner had held tight to the railing and somehow made it down the stairs to join the family.

They're all shaken, but safe.

"I can't imagine the power of that swirling wind. ... The roof is just gone. I don't even know where it is," Brennan said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, State Farm, one Delaware’s largest insurance company, reported its customers had filed 590 homeowners claims, nearly five times more than the number of auto claims — 120 — it had received.

But the insurance company said Wednesday’s numbers are only preliminary and will likely increase as the days go on. The claims also don’t take into account other insurance companies that did not report their numbers.

While State Farm’s claim numbers are remarkable just one day after Isaias swept through, the storm’s damage extended well beyond cars and homes.

Winds from the tropical storm, as well as the tornadoes it produced, knocked down electrical lines, cutting power to more than 115,000 customers, Delmarva Power said.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the company had restored power to all but about 8,000 customers. The power company said crews would be working “around the clock” in 12-to-16-hour shifts to get power back to the remaining customers.

More than 800 workers from as far away as Florida and Texas have joined the effort, but some of the most damaged areas in the state may not have electricity until Friday evening, the company said.

Delaware emergency officials said infrastructure such as bridges and roadway structures were largely spared in the storm, though more than 20 roads in New Castle County remained closed Wednesday, long after the wind and rain subsided. Coastal impacts were minimal, with no major flooding or beach erosion reported.

Still, the damage inland was extensive.

State emergency officials are coordinating with county emergency agencies to assess damages and decide whether any federal assistance is needed. They also met with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to discuss the next steps as Delaware recovers.

Those damages are what led Gov. John Carney on Tuesday to issue a state of emergency to better coordinate cleanup efforts among state agencies. The designation was also set Tuesday night in case roads needed to be closed due to lingering flood risks, DEMA’s Schall said.

“‘What else is 2020 gonna bring?’ is what I keep asking myself every morning when I wake up,” said Schall, adding that hurricane season runs until Nov. 30.

“If there’s anything this year has taught us, it’s that people need to be prepared.”

What Delawareans can learn

Tropical Storm Isaias was not the first vicious storm to hit Delaware, and it won’t be the last.

It was, however, among the most damaging the First State has seen in recent years, arguably since Superstorm Sandy slammed the region in October 2012, said Leathers.

“It really did more than I think a lot of people assumed it would,” Leathers said. “It’s amazing what the path will do. If this had been 150 miles to the east, we wouldn’t be talking about many impacts here at all.”

HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE:Delaware and hurricanes: What Tropical Storm Isaias reminds us about coastal risk

It wasn’t that the National Hurricane Center or National Weather Service forecasts were off on Isaias' track or expected wind and rain. In fact, predictions of how much rain and how fast winds would blow were about spot-on, Leathers said.

“The thing that’s always a wild card when it comes to land-falling hurricanes is the potential for tornadoes,” he said. “It was just a matter of, this time, this was a very dynamic storm.”

Though the National Weather Service issued tornado watches and warnings as soon as they detected conditions rife for producing twisters, “whether or not tornadoes are produced within a weather system is really hard to forecast that far ahead of time,” Leathers said.

“It’s unusual for us — we just typically don’t see that number of tornadoes,” he said. “But we have had tornadoes before with tropical systems.”

Initial reports suggested several separate tornadoes touched down in Kent and New Castle counties Tuesday, but the National Weather Service said on Wednesday it was most likely one tornado that touched down multiple times. It will take at least another day or more to make that determination.

Four sightings had been reported — on Sandtown Road near Felton, along Route 13 in Smyrna, in the area of Route 8 and Bennington Street in Dover and on Gum Bush Road near Townsend. It’s not unusual for a tornado to touch down then revert to more of a funnel cloud, then touch down again somewhere else, Leathers said.

Normally when a hurricane or tropical system makes landfall, they begin to weaken. Warm ocean waters are key to fueling tropical systems, and without that source, the storms often start to flounder.

But the conditions were perfect for Tropical Storm Isaias to maintain its strength on its rapid northward journey up the East Coast. An upper-level trough in the atmosphere gave the storm its fast-moving forward speed, but also helped it keep its strength. That, combined with the dynamic nature of the storm’s wind field, created the perfect recipe for tornados, Leathers said.

“This particular one, even though it was never that strong from a hurricane standpoint, because of the overall meteorological situation and the path it took, it did a lot of damage from the coastal Carolinas all the way up into New England,” Leathers said. “People need to remember that: This was a tropical storm, but there were fatalities and injuries and property damage.

“That’s why, if you hear a tropical storm is coming into your area, it’s important to take that seriously.”

Delaware Online/The News Journal videographer Jenna Miller and intern Kry'stal Griffin contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608, mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford. Send story tips or ideas to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2785. Follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_.

Prolonged winter storm causes at least 37 deaths and leaves ...

CNN —

The prolonged winter storm that brought heavy snow, high winds and brutal cold to most of the US this past week has killed at least 37 people and had hundreds of thousands without power on Christmas morning.

Perhaps the worst impact was around Buffalo, New York, where 43 inches of snow fell as of Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The snowfall and blizzard conditions made roads impassable, froze power substations and left more than a dozen people dead, Erie County officials said.

The conditions eased slightly on Sunday, allowing emergency responders to get out and see the extent of the problem.

“I don’t want to say that this is going to be it because that would be a fallacy for me to say that, because we know that there are people who have been stuck in cars for more than two days,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Sunday. “There are people in homes who are below freezing temperatures.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it the “most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long storied history” due to its power and its extended length.

“It’s a crisis of epic proportion,” Hochul told CNN’s Paula Reid on Sunday.

Over the past week, this winter storm brought dangerously cold temperatures, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding to almost the entirety of the US, wrecking Christmas plans along the way.

More than 55 million people were under wind chill alerts Sunday morning, and freeze warnings are in effect across the South.

The blizzard conditions persisted Sunday across the Great Lakes, while frigid cold temperatures gripped the eastern two-thirds of the country.

Some major cities in the Southeast, Midwest and East Coast recorded their coldest Christmas in decades. In Florida, it will be the coldest December 25 since 1983 for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and West Palm Beach.

New York City also saw record cold temperatures on Christmas Eve at several locations, including its JFK and LaGuardia airports. The high at Central Park was 15 degrees, marking it the second-coldest December 24 in at least 150 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures are forecast to rebound later in the week with a much-welcomed warming trend with above-normal temperatures.

About 250,000 homes and businesses in the US had no electricity service as of about 11 a.m. ET Sunday, with nearly half of those affected in Maine and New York, according to PowerOutage.us. Since the start of the storm the number of outages has at times exceeded a million customers.

Power grid struggling with cold

Snow blankets buildings in Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday, December 28. Joed Viera/AFP/Getty Images National Guard troops check on Buffalo residents on December 28. Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP A traveler searches for luggage December 28 at a Southwest Airlines baggage holding area in Denver International Airport. More than 90% of Wednesday's US flight cancellations were Southwest flights, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Southwest canceled more than 2,500 flights. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images People help push a car out of snow in Buffalo on Tuesday, December 27. John Normile/Getty Images Niagara Falls in New York is partially frozen on December 27. Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Travelers at Baltimore/Washington International Airport deal with the impact of canceled flights on December 27. Michael McCoy/Reuters A gas station canopy lays on its side after high winds and heavy snow in Lackawanna, New York, on December 27. The historic winter storm dumped up to 4 feet of snow on the area. John Normile/Getty Images Hundreds of unclaimed suitcases sit near the Southwest Airlines baggage claim area in Tennessee's Nashville International Airport after the airline canceled thousands of flights on December 27. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images A street is blanketed by snow in downtown Buffalo on Monday, December 26. Gov. Kathy Hochul/Twitter/AP A person clears a snow-covered driveway in Buffalo on December 26. Faith Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A man and a boy walk across the frozen Reflecting Pool towards the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on December 26. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters carry rescue equipment as they respond to a fire on a snow-covered street in Buffalo on Sunday, December 25. Jalen Wright/The New York Times/Redux Snow blankets a neighborhood in Cheektowaga, New York, on Christmas Day. Western New York is drowning in thick "lake effect" snow -- which forms when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Great Lakes -- just one month after the region was slammed with a historic snowstorm. John Waller via AP A man tries to dig out his car after he got stuck in a snowdrift about a block from home in Buffalo on Saturday, December 24. Derek Gee/The Buffalo News via AP Icicles created by a sprinkler hang from an orange tree in Clermont, Florida, on December 24. Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A young holiday traveler passes the time at Detroit Wayne County Metro Airport on December 24. Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images Pedestrians deal with the cold in Chicago on December 24. Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP Hoak's Restaurant in Hamburg, New York, is seen covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie on December 24. Kevin Hoak via Reuters Nissan Stadium employees clear the field in Nashville before the an NFL football game on December 24. Mark Zaleski/AP Amanda Kelly cleans off snow and ice from her car in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, December 23. Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network Cars drive in whiteout conditions in Orchard Park, New York, on December 23. Mark Mulville/The Buffalo News/AP Travelers sleep while lines of people pass through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport. David Zalubowski/AP Snow-covered buildings are seen in Louisville, Kentucky. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images The waters of Lake Erie wash over the shoreline in Hamburg, New York, on December 23. John Normile/Getty Images Snow collects on a bison at the Longfield Farm in Goshen, Kentucky, on December 23. Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal/USA Today Network Volunteers welcome a homeless person to a shelter at Louisville's Broadbent Arena on December 23. Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images Stones are removed from a road in Westport, Massachusetts, after a storm surge made landfall, flooding many coastal areas on December 23. Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times/AP The Louisville skyline is obscured by steam rising from the Ohio River on December 23. Matt Stone/The Louisville Courier/USA Today Network Antonio Smothers jump-starts his vehicle in Nashville on December 23. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images Rows of headstones at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery are blanketed by drifting snow in Mandan on Thursday, December 22. Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune/AP Migrants warm themselves by a fire next to the US-Mexico border fence on December 22 in El Paso, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images Robert Arnold puts chains onto the tires of his semitrailer while he waits for the eastbound lane of I-70 to reopen in Silverthorne, Colorado, on December 22. Jason Connolly/AFP/Getty Images A musician departs following a show on Broadway in Nashville on December 22. Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images Brady Myers helps turn the Stewpot Community Services day shelter for the unhoused into an emergency overnight shelter in Jackson, Mississippi, on December 22. Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger/USA Today Network Vehicles travel along Interstate 44 on December 22, in St. Louis. Jeff Roberson/AP A person walks through the snow on December 22 in downtown Minneapolis. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP A clean car passes a snow-covered car in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall/AP Travelers walk in front of flight information screens at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on December 22. Nam Y. Huh/AP Ice collects on a window in Oklahoma City on December 22. Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network Bus riders wait at a sheltered stop in Chicago on December 22. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP An accident involving a semi-tractor-trailer blocks the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 in West Des Moines on December 22. Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register/AP Kids shovel snow off a sidewalk and driveway in Minneapolis on December 22. Abbie Parr/AP Travelers arrive for their flights at O'Hare International Airport on December 22 in Chicago. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images Mist rises above ice flows on the Yellowstone River on December 22 in Paradise Valley, Montana. William Campbell/Getty Images Students walk to school buses after early dismissal at a middle school in Wheeling, Illinois, on December 22. Nam Y. Huh/AP Miguel Salazar clears sidewalks in Denver on December 22. Hyoung Chang/Denver Post/Getty Images Travelers arrive at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport on December 21. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/AP Salt is prepared to be loaded onto a truck at the Department of Public Works sanitation yard in Milwaukee on December 21. Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/AP Propane heaters sit next to pens at the City of Mission Animal Shelter in Mission, Texas, on December 21. Joel Martinez/The Monitor/AP Crews de-ice a Southwest Airlines plane before takeoff in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 21. Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald/AP An Iowa Department of Transportation plow clears a road in Iowa City on December 21. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press Citizen/AP Snow covers homes in Seattle on December 20. Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times/AP In pictures: Winter storm impacts the US Prev Next

A power grid operator for at least 13 states in the country’s eastern half asked customers to conserve power and set thermostats lower than usual from early Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday because usage was straining capacity.

The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves about 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The operator warned rolling blackouts could happen if the strain becomes too much.

In New York, utility companies Con Edison and Natural Grid US also urged customers to conserve energy, citing extreme weather conditions and increased energy demand on interstate pipelines carrying natural gas into the city.

Meanwhile, a shortage of electricity in Texas prompted the US Department of Energy to declare an emergency Friday, allowing the state’s energy provider to exceed environmental emissions standards until energy usage drops.

In Jackson, Mississippi, frigid temperatures are hampering efforts to repair a large water main break late Saturday, which has caused a loss in water pressure for residents, city officials said.

“We are grateful to the crews who are braving these frigid temperatures on this Christmas Eve night, while working to restore pressure to residents. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and is appreciated not only by this administration, but also by every resident who is affected,” the release stated.

The brutal weather conditions have also snarled travel during the busy holiday weekend, with more than 5,000 flights canceled Friday, more than 3,400 flights canceled Saturday, and more than 2,800 canceled for Christmas Day.

Dangerous weather conditions claim lives

Snow covers a vehicle on December 24, 2022, in Hamburg, New York. John Normile/Getty Images

Out of the 17 weather-related fatalities recorded across New York, 16 were in Erie County, officials said, and one was a fatal carbon monoxide poisoning reported in Niagara County, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.

Blistering blizzard conditions swept the region, and Poloncarz, the county executive, said about 500 motorists found themselves stranded in their vehicles Friday night into Saturday morning, despite a county driving ban put in place during the storm.

National Guard troops had been called in to help “rescue people that are stuck in vehicles,” he said.

Of the deaths reported early Sunday – with individuals ranging in age from 26 to 93 years of age – “some were found in cars and some were found actually on the street in snow banks,” Poloncarz said.

Two died in separate incidents Friday night when emergency medical personnel could not get to their homes in time for medical emergencies, Poloncarz said Saturday morning. Details about a third death, confirmed by a county spokesperson Saturday afternoon, weren’t immediately available.

“The loss of two lives in Buffalo – storm related – because people were not able to get to medical attention, is again a crisis situation that unfolds before your eyes and you realize that lifesaving ambulances and emergency medical personnel cannot get to people during a blizzard situation,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday.

Hochul said she will ask the federal government “for a declaration of emergency that’ll allow us to seek reimbursements for the extraordinary expenses of all the overtime and the fact that we brought in mutual aid from other parts of the state.”

Video Ad Feedback Powerful winter storm leaves first responders in need of rescue, official says 01:49 - Source: CNN

Other storm-related deaths have been reported in the country. They include:

• Colorado: Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building possibly looking for warmth, and another in a camp in an alleyway.

• Kansas: Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Kansas Highway Patrol said Friday.

• Kentucky: Three people have died in the state, officials have said, including one involving a vehicle crash in Montgomery County.

• Missouri: One person died after a caravan slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said.

• Ohio: Nine people have died as a result of weather-related auto crashes, including four in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 75, when a semi tractor-trailer crossed the median and collided with an SUV and a pickup, authorities said.

• Tennessee: The Tennessee Department of Health on Friday confirmed one storm-related fatality.

• Wisconsin: Wisconsin State Patrol on Thursday reported one fatal crash due to winter weather.

What to expect as the storm slowly weakens and hazardous conditions continue

Strong winds behind the arctic cold front that pushed through this week will lead to lake-effect snow and blizzard conditions at times across portions of the Great Lakes on Sunday.

Blizzard warnings, winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories blanket much of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley.

An additional 8 to 16 inches of lake-effect snow is possible.

The storm system is forecast to gradually weaken as it lifts into southeastern Canada, moving slowly during the next couple of days and pulling arctic air from Canada down into much of the eastern side of the country.

The Arctic blast will slowly moderate into Monday.

The cold temperatures combined with dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers who become stranded, people who work outside, livestock and pets, according to the National Weather Service.

“In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes,” the Weather Service warned.

As the frigid air continues to blast the warm waters of the Great Lakes, lake-effect snows and blizzard conditions are expected to continue, but slowly become less intense.

Still, strong gusty winds initially up to 60 mph accompanying the snow downwind from the Great Lakes will continue to make for extremely dangerous conditions on the road.

By Christmas night into Monday, another low pressure system coming from the Pacific will deliver the next surge of moisture toward the Pacific Northwest and then into northern California, according to the Weather Service.

Tornado, storm damage in Iowa: Coralville, Hills among hardest hit

At least eight tornadoes were spotted across Iowa Friday as large swaths of the southeastern portion of the state reported extensive damage to homes and buildings in a massive storm front that killed more than two-dozen people across the nation.

The National Weather Service has confirmed at least eight tornadoes based on preliminary data, including a low-end EF4 that tracked from Wapello into Johnson County; five EF2 tornadoes, one in Cedar county into Clinton County, one in Clinton County, two in Johnson county and one in Des Moines County; and two tornadoes in Jackson county, one EF1 tornado that began in Jackson County before moving to Illinois and another EF0 stayed in county lines.

The total number of tornadoes is expected to rise.

The EF scale uses wind estimates based on damage and calculates 3-second gusts estimated at the point of damage, according to the NWS. EF4 tornadoes bring gusts of 166 to 200 mph; EF3, 136 to 165; EF2, 111 to 135; and EF1, 86 to 110.

Coralville and Hills in Johnson County were among the towns that saw extensive damage, and part of Charlotte in Clinton County was evacuated because of a propane leak.

The Iowa storms were part of a powerful system of storms and tornadoes that tore through the South and Midwest starting Friday. By Sunday morning, the death toll nationally had risen to 26.

More:'Where are my kids going to stay?': Storm damage leaves some Coralville families homeless

NWS to have official tornado count Monday; at least 40 structures damaged in Corallville and Hills

National Weather Service officials in Davenport are still working on the official tornado count, a number that will most likely be available Monday morning, the NWS said. The latest tornadoes added are the two surveyed near the town of Solon. Survey teams have preliminarily rated those both as EF2, according to NWS Quad Cities.

David Wilson, director of Johnson County Homeland Security and Emergency, said 20 buildings and homes were damaged in Coralville, along with another 20 in Hills but believes the total will be north of 60 structures. Other numbers will be available later Sunday afternoon, he said. 118 calls were placed to 911 during the event.

EF4 tornado confirmed; it tracked from Wapello to Johnson County

Preliminary data has led to a low-end EF4 rating for a tornado that tracked from Wapello into Johnson County, with maximum estimated winds at about 170 mph and maximum width of 600 yards, according to the National Weather Service.

More:9 possible tornadoes tallied in eastern Iowa Friday from 'strong and unusual storm system'

EF1 tornado confirmed in Bellevue

Preliminary data shows an EF1 tornado crossed over Bellevue before heading over the Mississippi River, according to the National Weather Service.

EF2 tornado confirmed in Clinton County

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down in Clinton County, moving northeast from Grand Mound through Charlotte.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signs disaster proclamation for 12 counties

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster relief proclamation on Saturday morning for 12 counties in eastern Iowa in the wake of the storm damage.

The proclamation intends to "ease restrictions on the transportation of materials related to disaster response and repairs," according to a press release. Those measures include temporarily suspending restrictions on hours of service for disaster relief crews and movement of loads on highways to help in disaster recovery.

The counties included in the proclamation are Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Grundy, Johnson, Keokuk, Linn, Mahaska, Wapello and Washington.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program is now also available for residents of those counties impacted by the disaster whose household annual income is at 200% or less than the federal poverty level. Households may receive up to $5,000 to assist in disaster recovery such as home or car repairs, food, clothing and other recovery expenses. Individuals have until May 16 to apply through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services website.

Residents of the counties of any income bracket can also receive assistance through the Disaster Case Management Program. Care is organized through local community action associations.

The proclamation is in effect from April 1 to May 1.

More:How to claim tornado relief in Iowa if your house or property has been damaged

National Weather Service warns of more severe weather next week

The National Weather Service warned that another round of severe weather could hit central and eastern Iowa on Tuesday.

Southeastern Iowa is particularly at risk of tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail, the organization wrote on Twitter.

EF3 tornado confirmed near Keota

Preliminary data confirms an E3 tornado touched down near Keota on Friday, according to The National Weather Service.

Charlotte propane tank leak contained; one family rescued from fallen home in Clinton County

Officials quickly repaired a leak in a 10,000-gallon propane tank in northern Charlotte Friday night, which had required half of the town's residents to evacuate. Residents were able to return to their homes last night, according to Clinton County Emergency Management Coordinator Chance Kness.

Kness said several homes across the county were destroyed by the strong storms. He said eyewitness accounts confirmed at least one tornado touched down in the county, but his team is awaiting confirmation from the National Weather Service.

Emergency personnel rescued a family of three trapped in their collapsed home north of Grand Mound last night at 6 p.m., Kness said. One of the residents was transported to Genesis Medical Center in DeWitt for their injuries, he said.

Kness said emergency personnel worked efficiently to survey damage and respond to calls for service in the county, thanks in large part to early warnings ahead of the storm.

"Because of the extremely early warning about the severity of this event, we had staffed our Emergency Operations Center, notified responders," he said. "We're very fortunate in Clinton County to have excellent first response capabilities and great working relationships. I feel like everything went very smoothly."

EF3 tornado confirmed outside Hedrick

The National Weather Service out of the Quad Cities confirmed preliminary data shows an EF3 tornado touched down three to five miles away from Hedrick in Keokuk County.

Insulation, debris line grass on 23rd Street in Coralville

Dozens of community members, including Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster and Iowa City Community School District employees, lined 23rd Street in Coralville Saturday morning to help clear out debris.

“We have a lot of people that want to step up and help,” Foster said.

On Ninth Street, insulation littered the grass in front of people's homes. From afar, it looked almost like snow.

EF2 tornado confirmed in Johnson County

The National Weather Service based in the Quad Cities has confirmed one EF-2 tornado touched down in Johnson County Friday near Hills. Johnson County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Wilson said there may have been up to three tornadoes that hit the county.

The tornadoes first were sighted in the southwest corner of the county, in Frytown, and made their way up through the west side of Hills, he said.

In Hills, "about a six-block-wide area between Highway 218 and the railroad tracks" sustained notable damage, he said. The area is made up of apartment buildings, a few individual residences and commercial storage sheds, he said.

From there, the storm moved to the west of Iowa City over the city's landfill and ended up in Coralville, where a portion of four blocks stretching from Highway 6 to Boston Way sustained damage, he said. The storm then "hopped up" to Solon, Wilson said, where it damaged a new subdivision under construction and took the roof off a local hardware store and Mexican restaurant. Wilson reported "scattered damage" throughout smaller towns and rural areas in the county.

Local power companies helped restore power to the majority of buildings, and the county was able to reopen all roadways by midnight Friday, Wilson said.

The county helped shelter 11 individuals following the storm: Eight stayed at the Red Cross-run shelter at the Coralville Recreation Center, and three stayed in an off-site location for "medical special needs," Wilson said. All three at the off-site location had departed as of 8:30 a.m.

Across the county, only two minor injuries were reported, he said, and there were no fatalities or reports of anyone trapped. Officials responded to 118 calls for service as of 8 a.m. Saturday morning, including 14 for public assistance, six for a gas line break, five for rescue and 24 for road hazards, according to data provided by Wilson.

Eight Johnson County residents spend night in shelter after storms destroyed homes

Eight Johnson County residents spent the night at the Coralville Recreation Center after a series of storms and potential tornadoes ripped through the region and destroyed their homes.

Mamie Kahulumbanda, her two daughters, son, husband and younger brother lost their home due to yesterday’s tornado. Her daughter, Precieuse, said they are “traumatized.”

“We have nothing besides our car,” she said.

Angla and Robert Manning spent the evening at a hotel last night after their home was destroyed. Angla would have been home when the tornado hit, but had to run an errand at Walmart and remained there during the storm. “It was a blessing that we weren’t home,” she said.

The Red Cross ran the shelter, which provided residents with blankets, teddy bears and hygiene bags including toothbrushes.

Coralville sets up emergency shelter for those displaced after the storm

The Coralville Recreation Center at 1506 Eighth Street will serve as an emergency shelter for those who are displaced by the storm, according to Mayor Meghann Foster.

Red Cross staff and volunteers will be there to assist residents at the shelter, she said.

"If anybody is interested or needs that help, they can call the Johnson County Emergency Dispatch, and they will get them connected to the right people," Foster said.

City of Charlotte evacuates half of the town from propane tank leak

In the wake of the storms, emergency service personnel discovered a leaking 10,000-gallon propane tank on the north side of Charlotte in Clinton County.

City Auditor and Public Information Officer Eric VanLancker said concerns over strong winds prompted the city to evacuate half of the town of just under 400 people.

Davenport Hazmat is assisting the city and other emergency officials with repairing the leak, which VanLancker said the city hoped would be completed by Friday night.

Those who could not shelter with other family and friends were evacuated to the Lutheran Church on the south side of the town, VanLancker said.

Coralville Mayor said minor injuries reported, no fatalities

Coralville Mayor Foster said minor injuries have been reported so far after an apparent tornado tore through the city and left considerable damage in its wake.

"As of right now, we're not hearing of any fatalities, which is something we are very grateful for and hopefully, that continues to be the trend that we are seeing," she said.

She said first responders are out helping to clear debris and ensure residents are safe and accounted for. Gas lines in certain parts of the city have been turned off as a precaution while the damage is assessed, she said.

A vehicle with a light tower is being placed near the Subway on Highway 6.

"We've got quite a bit of damage in the community right now," she said. "And it's really important that we're letting the first responders clear away that debris and get everything settled."

She said the city is working on setting up a shelter for those whose homes have been severely damaged or lost due to the tornado. More information on the shelter will be released as it becomes available, she said.

Hundreds help neighbors with damage in Hills

Hundreds of residents of Hills came out to help each other after an apparent tornado barreled through the town, ripping off roofs and leaving a trail of debris in its path.

Insulation covered nearly two city blocks on the northwest side of Hills from Casey's to the edge of town, with other buildings damaged along the way.

Buildings flattened, roads blocked by fallen trees in Coralville

Families and neighbors gathered along a row of houses on 23rd Street in Coralville Friday afternoon to assess the damage from a tornado that rolled through the region.

Downed trees and power lines riddled streets and driveways next to homes which sustained major damage.

Just past the street, downed trees were blocking Highway 6. An apartment building off Boston Way was flattened next to a semi-truck flipped onto its back.

The branches of trees left standing were riddled with debris from nearby buildings and homes.

Coralville resident Gordon Knight said he watched from the window of his basement apartment as the building's siding started flying away amid the gusting winds and heavy rainfall. Within minutes, he saw the roof of a neighboring building torn off. In the parking lot, a tree fell onto one of the resident's cars.

"I've lived in Iowa about 50 years and that's the closest I ever came to a tornado," he said.

While the exterior of his apartment building sustained notable damage, he said all of the residents inside were safe and didn't suffer any injuries.

Des Moines clear of severe weather, but gusty winds still expected

As of 7 p.m., there were no more severe storms forecasted for Des Moines and central Iowa Friday evening. However, the National Weather Service warned residents should still expect "strong gusty winds" while those up north are likely to experience snow.

Tornado warning issued in De Witt, Preston and Charlotte

A tornado warning is in effect following an observed tornado in the regions of De Witt, Preston and Charlotte. The warning is in effect until 6:45 p.m. and there is no hail expected.

Tornado warning issued for Wyoming, Oxford Junction and Lost Nation

A tornado was seen in the region of Wyoming, Oxford and Lost Nation. A warning is in effect in the area until 6:30 p.m., during which the region may experience up to golf-ball-sized hail.

Tornado warning issued for Lowden, Wheatland and Delmar

An observed tornado triggered a tornado warning in the areas around Lowden, Wheatland and Delmar. The warning is in effect until 6:15 p.m. No hail is expected in the area.

Tornado warning issued for Manchester, Earlville and Delhi

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the regions around Manchester, Earlville and Delhi until 6:15 p.m. The region could experience quarter-sized hail.

Tornado warning issued for Tipton, Mechanicsville and Clarence

A tornado warning is in effect for the regions around Tipton, Mechanicsville and Clarence until 5:45 p.m. Golf-ball-sized hail is possible in the region. As of 5:30 p.m., the threat was raised from an observed tornado to a "damaging tornado."

A further warning was issued for Clarence, Olin and Stanwood until 5:45 p.m. also described as a "damaging tornado."

Tornado warning issued for Wilton, Durant and Bennett

A tornado warning is in effect for Wilton, Durant and Bennett until 6 p.m. Pea-sized hail is possible.

Tornado warning issued for Anamosa, Mount Vernon and Lisbon

A tornado warning is in effect in Anamosa, Mount Vernon and Lisbon until 5:45 p.m. The region could see up to golf ball-sized hail.

As of 5:40 p.m., the warning was extended to 6:15 p.m. to include the regions around Anamosa, Dyersville and Monticello.

Tornado warning issued for West Liberty, West Branch, Rochester

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the region of West Liberty, West Branch and Rochester, just outside of Iowa City. The warning is in effect until 5:30 p.m. and the region could see ping-pong-sized hail.

Tornado warning issued for Fairfield, Mount Pleasant and Wayland

A tornado warning in Fairfield, Mount Pleasant and Wayland is in effect until 5:30 p.m. Ping-pong-sized hail is possible.

Tornado warning issued for Vinton, Center Point and Urbana

A tornado warning is in effect in Vinton, Center Point and Urbana until 5:30 p.m. Quarter-sized hail is possible.

Tornado warning issued for Waterloo and surrounding areas

A tornado warning is in effect in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Grundy Center until 5:15 p.m. Pea-sized hail is possible in the region.

Tornado warning issued for Washington, Kalona and Riverside

A tornado warning for Washington, Kalona and Riverside is in effect until 5 p.m. The region could experience ping-pong-sized hail as storms move through.

Tornado warning issued for Coralville and surrounding areas

The National Weather Service declared a tornado warning for Coralville, North Liberty and Mount Vernon until 5:15 p.m. Baseball-sized hail is possible in the region.

Tornado warning issued for Marshalltown and surrounding areas

A tornado warning is in effect for Marshalltown, Reinbeck, and Gladbrook.

The warning is in effect until 5:15 p.m. and those in the area could see up to pea-sized hail.

Tornado warning issued for Waverly, Parkersburg and Ackley

A tornado warning is in effect for Waverly, Parkersburg and Ackley, located just east of Iowa Falls.

The warning is in effect until 5:15 p.m. and those in the area could see up to pea-sized hail.

Central Iowa no longer under severe weather threat as storms head east

Central Iowa is no longer considered to be under threat of severe weather as storms with large hail and tornadoes continue to rock parts of eastern Iowa.

The National Weather Service said storms and gusty winds may continue in central Iowa. Eastern Iowa continues to be impacted by severe weather.

Tornado warning issued in Benton County

A tornado warning was in effect in Vinton, Garrison and Mount Auburn, all located in Benton County. The warning is radar-indicated and the region may see up to pea-sized hail.

The warning expired at 4:45 p.m.

Tornado warning issued in parts of Iowa, Washington Counties

A tornado warning has been issued for Williamsburg, Wellman and North English located in Iowa and Washington Counties. Baseball-sized hail is possible. The warning expired at 4:45 p.m.

Tornado confirmed near Jefferson, Keokuk Counties

A large and dangerous tornado is on the ground in Keokuk County, according to the National Weather Service.

The tornado touched down near Packwood in Jefferson County and is headed toward Hedrick and Martinsburg in Keokuk County.

All those in the area should take cover now.

Tornado warning issued for Tama, Toledo and Chelsea

A radar-indicated tornado warning has been issued for Tama, Toledo and Chelsea, located in between Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Pea sized hail is possible as a storm rolls through the region.

The warning expired at 4:45 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm warning has also been issued for the region, including Grinnell.

Tornado spotted Montezuma

A tornado has been spotted near Malcom and Montezuma, according to the National Weather Service.

The warning for this area was allowed to expire as storms move east.

Tornado confirmed near Ottumwa

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down just northeast of Ottumwa.

The tornado warning for this area has expired, but it remains under a severe thunderstorm warning.

Anyone in the area should take cover now.

Large hail reported across the state

Storms moving across Iowa dropped large hail. The National Weather Service reported a cell moving through Story County around 3 p.m. produced hail as large as 2 inches in diameter.

What should you do during a tornado warning?

The weather service says it's always important to have an emergency plan in place in the event of severe weather, including designating a "safe place" in your home, preferably away from windows and in an interior room. Keeping supplies handy like flashlights, batteries, food, water, clothes and shoes is also recommended.

More tornado safety tips:What to do when a watch or warning is issued depends on where you are

Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Des Moines metro

Multiple severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued for metro counties as storms approach Des Moines.

A warning until 3:45 p.m. covers Huxley, Ames, Nevada and to the north and east. Winds of up to 60 mph and 2 inch sized hail are possible.

Other warnings for the Des Moines area have been allowed to expire.

Click here for a map and full list of warnings across the state.

What is the severe weather forecast for Iowa today? Is there a tornado watch too?

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of central and eastern Iowa, including Des Moines, Ames and Iowa City. The watch encompasses an area with a population of over 5 million people and will remain in place until 8 p.m. Friday evening.

A tornado watch means conditions are right for a tornado to form. Iowans should pay attention to conditions and be prepared to seek shelter.

The National Weather Service's warning states that "this is a particularly dangerous situation." Meteorologist Jeff Zogg said the National Weather Service does not typically issue that type of warning unless the situation "pose[s] a significant danger to the public."

"We're looking at the potential for severe weather this afternoon. Tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds. Any storms that do develop will move fairly rapidly. And there is the potential for violent long-track tornadoes too. So that's one of the reasons we put that kind of wording in there," he said.

Zogg recommended Iowans pay close attention to weather updates, such as through visiting https://www.weather.gov/dmx/, and to have a plan in place if severe weather hits their locations.

"Just be aware that any storms that do develop will intensify pretty rapidly and move fast as well," he said, adding Iowans should "know where you can go for safety if threatening weather does approach your location."

What's the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

Tornado watches are alerts to stay prepared and be ready to act, according to the NWS. They mean that tornadoes are possible and weather conditions "favor thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes."

More details:What is a tornado watch? Tornado warning? Here's a look at the differences

A warning means imminent danger, according to the NWS. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar and you should seek shelter immediately.

Blizzard and winter storm warnings issued for northern Iowa

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning in far northwest Iowa near the city of Estherville in Emmet County which will be in effect from 11 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

The combination of rain, strong winds and colder air arriving tonight "will produce blizzard to near blizzard conditions" with the potential to impact travel conditions, according to NWS. The region could see between two and four inches of snow and wind gusts up to 50 mph.

NWS issued a winter storm warning during the same time period for the surrounding counties, including Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Palo Alto, and Hancock.

In central Iowa, rain and snow could mix overnight with light snow possible through 7 a.m. Saturday. Less than a half an inch of snow is expected. Mixed rain and snowfall are possible through 7 a.m. Saturday near Iowa City.

The science behind the rain-snow line in Delaware

Delawareans use the C&D Canal as a dividing line for a lot of things, but local weather experts also often point to it as the snow-rain dividing line.

That was evident Wednesday, when a mid-week nor’easter spared most areas south of the canal the heavy, slushy snow that led to business and school closures and a low-level driving restriction in New Castle County.

As Sussex County experienced a relatively normal rainy day, New Castle County may have seen one of the state’s most significant snowfalls of the season, said State Climatologist Daniel Leathers.

“It’s probably going to end up being our biggest snow of the year, and some people will hope it will be the biggest and last snow for good,” he said. “I think this will be the March storm people will remember for a while.”

Leathers said this storm, nestled between last week’s intense nor’easter and another system expected late this weekend, is not all that unusual. It is a product of normal weather patterns as the seasons shift from winter into spring.

“The pattern just shifted,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of snow here in March, but it’s not unprecedented to get March snowstorms. It’s not going to be as intense as the winds were last week, but with more moisture and cold air, that’s why in the north we’re getting the heavy snow and in the southern part of the state, you guys are missing it.”

A dip in the jet stream over the eastern part of the United States – called a trough – set up the perfect conditions for coastal storms. With temperatures close to freezing, this storm offers a stark contrast to unusually warm temperatures seen last month.

Leathers said he still needs to crunch the numbers, but it looks like February 2018 may rank in the top five warmest since record-keeping began in the late 1800s.

Back-to-back coastal storms are expected this time of year. March is the month for nor’easters and mid-latitude storms created by normal fluctuations in the jet stream, said John Callahan, a climatologist at The Delaware Geological Survey. On average, Delaware sees about 33 of these storms every year.

“This is a peak time for these kind of nor’easters, which I think we have to worry about more than tropical systems because they have a higher risk since they last longer and happen more frequently,” Callahan said. “They carry enormous potential for beach erosion and damage to infrastructure and communities for the flooding.”

The famous Storm of 1962, which wreaked as much havoc as a powerful hurricane, was actually a nor’easter, he said.

“Nor’easters are severe for us,” he said. “About 90 percent of the coastal storms we get here are non-tropical in origin, and most of them are nor’easters.”

As temperatures teetered around freezing, New Castle County saw heavy, wet snow as large flakes moved through the atmosphere and stuck together before hitting the ground. If temperatures were much cooler and below freezing, New Castle County would have a lot more snow to clean up, Leathers said.

“When snow falls, usually it has a 10-to-1 ratio of snow to water, meaning one inch of rain equals 10 inches of snow,” he said. “Because it is warm today, that ratio is a lot lower. So, there’s less snow, but it has a large amount of water in it. It’s going to stick, and you’re going to feel it when you pick up a shovel full of it.”

The First State’s geography is the reason Delaware often sees so many back-to-back coastal storms, and why weather can vary drastically from one end of the state to the other.

“I-95 is kind of the perfect distance inland where, to the south and east of it you get warm air that changes snow to rain,” Leathers said. “North of there, you’re in some higher elevation, which helps lower the temperature and are further away from the ocean and can be a little colder. That’s the dividing line.”

The longer the jet stream stays in place, the longer atmospheric conditions that produce storms can linger, Callahan said.

“Just like how we had the three hurricanes at one time last year – that was rare, but not unique,” he said. “These kind of events happen just because of normal weather patterns.”

A few hundred feet of elevation can make all the difference between rain and snow, Leathers said. Some of northern Delaware reaches 300 feet above sea level in the Piedmont region, while the southern part of the state on the Atlantic Coastal Plain is much closer to sea level.

“As you go up in elevation, you typically go down in temperature,” he said. “Just a few hundred feet in elevation can make a difference of two to three degrees. And that can make a difference of whether it falls as rain or snow.”

As the seasons transition between winter and spring and the jet stream dips over the East Coast, warm air from the ocean meets cold air to the north and west creating air flows that foster coastal storms. The bigger the difference between those two patterns, the more intense the storms, Leathers said.

For this weekend, he said Delawareans can expect a very similar storm system. Northern Delaware will be right along the rain/snow line. But it is too soon to predict exactly what will happen, he said.

“We will have to wait and see how that plays out,” he said.

Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608, mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.

MARCH STORM COVERAGE

Nor'easter enters more intense afternoon phase

Snow piles up in northern Delaware

Delaware snow totals

Isaias track, forecast, updates: Storm leaves power outages, tornadoes

Isaias spawned deadly tornadoes and dumped heavy rain as it roared up the East Coast on Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane Monday night before weakening to a post-tropical cyclone.

At least six people have died due to the storm and more than 3 million customers across five states were without power late Tuesday night.

A tornado killed two people and injured several others at a mobile home park in Bertie County, North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said. Authorities also said three others were killed by falling trees toppled by the storm in Maryland, New York City and Delaware. Another died when her vehicle was overtaken by Pennsylvania floods and swept downstream.

Other tornadoes were reported in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said. Even without tornadoes, winds could cause significant tree damage and power outages, the National Hurricane Center said.

What was once Hurricane Isaias was downgraded late Tuesday night to a post-tropical storm, defined by the NHC as "a cyclone that no longer possesses sufficient tropical characteristics" to be defined as a tropical storm. The post-tropical cyclone is forecast to dissipate over southeastern Canada on Wednesday night or Thursday.

Tropical storm warnings are still in place from Massachusetts to Maine, as the storm sustains max winds of near 45 mph. The NHC said in its 11 p.m. EDT advisory that "a couple of tornadoes are possible across central and eastern Maine."

More than 3.7 million customers were without power, mostly in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, according to poweroutage.us. New York City’s power utility said it has seen more outages from this storm than from any storm except Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Here's what you need to know:

As of 11 p.m. EDT, the storm’s center was about 45 miles southeast of Montreal, moving northeast into Canada.

Scattered moderate and major river flooding is forecast across portions of the Mid-Atlantic.

What's it like out there? These live webcams show beaches in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. 🌊

The next advisory from the National Hurricane Center will be released at 2 a.m. EDT wednesday.

For first-in-the-morning updates, sign up to get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox. This file will be updated throughout the day.

New Jersey: 1.4 million without power; tropical storm warning in effect

Heavy rains were falling Tuesday across New Jersey as Tropical Storm Isaias roared to the north, leaving behind power outages and reports of tornadoes. Almost 1.4 million customers were without power, poweroutage.us said, by far the highest total of any state.

The storm was disrupting ground travel across the state at midday. New Jersey Transit’s River Line and Atlantic City rail service was suspended or delayed in some areas due to downed trees and flooding, and trees blocked lanes on the Garden State Parkway in Upper Township and the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison.

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency.

Heavy rainfall up to 6 inches was forecast to impact the state. A tornado watch was also issued Tuesday, which lasted through 4 p.m.

– Nicholas Katzban, Bergen Record; Joshua Chung and Keith Schubert, Asbury Park Press

Flooding, water rescues in Philadelphia

There were numerous reports of flooding in Philadelphia and its surroundings. The Schuylkill River was projected to crest early Wednesday at 15.4 feet, its highest level in more than 150 years. The river had already surged over its banks in some areas by Tuesday night.

In Montgomery County to the northwest of Philadelphia, officials said they performed more than 100 water rescues.

In northwest of the city, a 44-year-old Allentown woman was killed after high waters swept her vehicle downstream, the Lehigh County coroner’s office said.

West of Philadelphia in Delaware County, rescue workers were searching for a young person who fell or jumped into the fast-moving water of a swollen creek.

And in Doylestown to the north, officials said four children were treated for minor injuries after high winds partially tore the roof off a day care center. About 135 children and their teachers had to be ushered out.

Airlines issue flight waivers

Traveling? If it's by plane, odds are good your airline is issuing flight waivers. United, American, Southwest, JetBlue and Delta have issued them in the wake of Tropical Storm Isaias.

A flight waiver gives travelers the option to rebook flights at no extra charge. There are typically terms and conditions, however, that prevent customers from buying flights outside of certain dates and from changing cabins unless they want to pay a fee. Travelers are urged to read airlines' fine print before rebooking.

– David Oliver

Isaias was a hurricane:Why do tropical weather systems cause tornadoes?

At least 2 tornadoes confirmed on Maryland Eastern Shore

At least two radar-confirmed tornadoes were reported on Maryland's Eastern Shore, according to the National Weather Service.

The first was located at 6:01 a.m. near Vienna moving north near Sharptown, Hurlock and Choptank. Social media reports indicate the tornado littered Route 50 with debris and caused damage in Mardela Springs, with photos posted to Facebook showing at least one home destroyed.

A second tornado was located on radar at 7:20 a.m. just north of Girdletree heading toward Snow Hill.

Chesapeake Bay:What to expect if Isaias continues track over it

– Brandon Holveck, Delaware News Journal

D.C., Baltimore could see flooding

Heavy rainfall along the East Coast will result in flash and urban flooding, some of which may be significant in North Carolina through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through tonight, the hurricane center said. Central and eastern North Carolina are expected to see the heaviest rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, with some areas seeing up to 8 inches. Potentially life-threatening urban flooding is possible in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and other areas along the I-95 corridor.

Contributing: Elinor Aspegren and Jordan Culver, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Hurricane Hilary updates: 1-10 east and west closed amid flooding

The Coachella Valley — which was under an unprecedented tropical storm warning until it was lifted around 2 a.m. Monday — is experiencing heavy flooding and other damage after Tropical Storm Hilary churned through the region on Sunday.

Latest road closures across the Coachella Valley

Several roads continue to be closed due to storm damage and flooding across the Coachella Valley, leaving significant clean-up work to allow residents to travel across the valley again.

“This storm has been unlike anything our community has faced before. We want to thank our residents, businesses, and members of the community for their patience as we work to clean up downed trees and mitigate flooding. Not everything is a quick fix, but our team is doing our best to have Palm Desert up and running tomorrow,” the City of Palm Desert said in a statement on its Facebook page Sunday evening.

Road closures in Palm Desert (as of 10:30 p.m.):

Washington and Harris

Gerald Ford in between Cook and Frank Sinatra

Fred Waring between Cook and Warner Trail

Parkview Drive

Mountain View Avenue

Road closures in Indio (as of 10:15 p.m.):

Shields Road and Avenue 46

Fargo Street and Indio Blvd.

Jefferson Street between Ave 48 and Corsica Gate

John Nobles and Arabia Street

Jefferson Street and Dunbar Drive

Road closures in Coachella (as of 6 p.m):

Ave 48 between Van Buren & Grapefruit Blvd

6th Street between Vine & Orchard

Frontage Road between Calle Zamora & Ave 53

Avenue 52 & Education Way

Avenue 48 & Cielo Victoria Street

Avenue 50 at the Whitewater Wash

Road closures in Indian Wells (as of 6 p.m.):

Fred Waring Drive from Cook Street to California Street

Road closures in Desert Hot Springs (as of 5 p.m.):

Little Morongo between Pierson and Mission Lakes Blvd.

Hacienda Ave. and Long Canyon

Pierson Blvd. between Little Morongo and Golden Eagle Way

Hacienda between Calle Amapola and Redbud

Dillon east of Little Morongo

Two Bunch Palms between Cholla and Cabot Rd.

Indian Canyon between Mission Lakes and Pierson.

Pierson at Karen Ave

Road closures in Cathedral City (as of 4 p.m.):

Varner Road from Date Palm Drive to Mountain View Road

Ortega Road between Moreno Road and Via de Anza

Dinah Shore Drive between Cathedral Canyon drive and Date Palm Drive

Los Gatos Road at Date Palm Drive

—Erin Rode

No home delivery of Monday Desert Sun print edition

Due to unsafe road conditions throughout the Coachella Valley and beyond, there will be no home delivery of the print edition of The Desert Sun on Monday. A full report of the storm and other news is available at desertsun.com. The e-edition of the newspaper is available for subscribers here.

911 lines down in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Indio

As of around 10:15 p.m., 911 lines are currently down in the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Indio, according to news releases from all three cities.

If you need emergency assistance, call the following phone numbers:

Palm Springs: 760-327-1441

Cathedral City: 760-770-0303

Indio: 760-775-3730

—Erin Rode

Indio declares a State of Emergency

Indio City Manager Bryan Montgomery has declared a State of Emergency in the city due to the storm. The local state of emergency will last for seven days and is a required step to request state or federal assistance, according to a press release from the city. The State of Emergency will also allow the city to activate its emergency plan.

“Tropical Storm Hilary has threatened local infrastructure and public health and safety, and exceeds the City’s capacity to address the impacts with its own personnel and resources,” the press release stated.

—Erin Rode

National Weather Service extends flash flood warning until 11:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service has extended the flash flood warning for the Coachella Valley area until 11:30 p.m. Sunday for the area’s nine cities and surrounding unincorporated areas such as Mecca and Thousand Palms. The National Weather Service warned of “life-threatening flash flooding” caused by heavy rain.

—Erin Rode

Interstate 10 closed

Interstate 10 is closed due to flooding, according to the California Highway Patrol. The I-10 is closed on both the east and westbound sides between Gene Autry Trail and Bob Hope Drive, with “an unknown ETA to re-open at this time.”

—Erin Rode

Cathedral City mobile homes experience flooding

About 60 homes at the Canyon Mobile Home Community in Cathedral City have been impacted by flooding as of Saturday evening, according to Cathedral City Councilmember Nancy Ross, who also lives in the 55 and older community of 350 homes.

“On the (most impacted streets), there was in several locations at least three feet of rushing water that was like a river and had a current of its own, it’s frightening,” Ross said. “And that rushing water by nature just wanted to follow a straight path up into people’s driveways and into their garages, and so many people flooded.”

Ross says damage to the roughly 60 impacted homes includes water flooded into garages or homes, and water under the mobile homes. Ross and her husband spent the afternoon checking on neighbors and attempting to keep nearby culverts clear of debris. The Cathedral City Fire Department also came to the park this afternoon to help evacuate several people out of their homes who couldn’t get past the rushing water in the road.

“It’s a senior citizen mobile home park, many of our people are in their 80s. They just don’t deserve to be in such a vulnerable situation, that’s for sure,” said Ross.

—Erin Rode

Thousands of IID customers without power

Over 7,000 Imperial Irrigation District customers are currently without power, with storm-related power outages reported across the district’s eastern Coachella Valley and Imperial County service area. Between about 5:30 and 7 p.m., IID reported roughly a dozen separate power outages on its social media accounts, including 1,693 customers in El Centro, 1,107 in the Westmorland/Calipatria area, and 1,190 customers in two different areas of Indio.

The Indio outages are impacting 572 customers in the area from Madison Street to 50th Avenue and 618 customers in the area from Lingayan Avenue to Peach Street. In La Quinta, a power outage is impacting 489 customers from Medallist Drive to Jackson Street, and in Thousand Palms, 370 customers are without power between Manufacturing Road and Watt Street.

A full list of outage locations and updates are available on IID’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

—Erin Rode

Red Cross shelters open in Thermal, Banning

The American Red Cross is opening several shelters in response to Hurricane Hilary. The local shelters in Imperial, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties are:

Desert Mirage High School (86150 66th Ave., Thermal)

Banning Community Center (789 North San Gorgonio Ave., Banning)

El Centro Community Center (375 S. 1st St., El Centro)

Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel (57373 Joshua Lane, Yucca Valley)

Redlands East Valley High School (31000 E. Colton Ave., Redlands)

—Erin Rode

National Weather Service issues flash flood warning until 8:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service, which previously issued a flash flood warning for the Coachella Valley area until 5 p.m. Sunday, announced a flash flood warning until 8:30 p.m. for the desert's nine cities. The alert, which was sent to iPhone users directly, said to avoid travel "unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order."

—Niki Kottmann

Palm Springs firefighters rescue people from floodwaters

Palm Springs firefighters have had to go into floodwaters twice Sunday to rescue people.

In a video of one of the rescues sent by Capt. Nathan Gunkel of the city fire department, a sedan is submerged up to its tires on Ramon Road just east of Gene Autry Trail.

—Paul Albani-Burgio

Flooding at Eisenhower goes viral on social media

Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage is experiencing flooding at its main facility, but videos online have made it look worse than it really is, an Eisenhower spokesperson told The Desert Sun Sunday evening.

Images and video posted online show flooding outside the John W. Larson Foundation Trauma Center. In one photo, an abandoned golf cart sits submerged in water.

But Lee Rice, the medical center’s public information officer, said that none of it has affected any patient care areas of the hospital.

“Fortunately, it hasn’t had any impact on our patient care areas,” Rice said. “So, it’s business as usual for us.”

Online videos showed the inside of Eisenhower with a small amount of water in the back hallways, with towels on the floor to absorb the moisture.

Rice said that some of the flooding has merely forced Eisenhower to divert ambulances to another section of the hospital that has not experienced the effects of the ongoing rainfall that has come with Tropical Storm Hilary.

Eisenhower is in its slower time of year, which is typical during the summer months, Rice said. She added that it has helped Eisenhower avoid any serious challenges during the storm.

Earlier Sunday, Eisenhower closed urgent care facilities in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and La Quinta but left Emergency Department services open and available to the community as needed.

—Andrew John

Center of storm nears Coachella Valley

At 5 p.m., the National Hurricane Center reported the center of Tropical Storm Hilary was located 25 miles south-southwest of Palm Springs and moving north at 23 mph.

As Hilary moved closer to the Coachella Valley, strong winds have picked up. Palm Desert reported a peak wind gust of 46 mph at 4:20 p.m.

Palm Springs International Airport had a top wind gust of 40 mph at 3:40 p.m.

—Matt Solinsky

Desert Sands, Palm Springs Unified schools closed Monday

All schools will be closed Monday in two of the Coachella Valley's three districts, Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified.

In Coachella Valley Unified School District, the first day of the school year will be Thursday.

Xavier College Preparatory High School also said it will be closed Monday, although staff will try to come to campus to assess any damage caused by the storm. The school said it is anticipating some minor damage caused by flooding and leaks.

College of the Desert will also be closed on Monday, although classes for the new semester are not set to begin until next week. College of the Desert "currently has a lot of water and debris on site," and the Palm Desert campus has also "experienced some water intrusion in key areas."

School officials are asking everyone to remain off campus, and "no business will be conducted at any location, with the exception of COD’s Maintenance Team and Campus Safety Team, who will help assess the damage and determine any challenges to student or work spaces." Regular business is expected to resume on Tuesday.

—Paul Albani-Burgio and Erin Rode

Storm shelter at Desert Mirage High School

Desert Mirage High School in Thermal is being used as a temporary storm shelter, according to the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

The shelter is open to the public and includes a dedicated reception area and a cooling zone. The district said it expects the shelter to be open until Monday or Tuesday afternoon, with more information to be sent out as the storm continues.

—Paul Albani-Burgio

Palm Springs declares local emergency

Palm Springs City Manager Scott Stiles has declared a local emergency because of the storm, city spokesperson Amy Blaisdell said.

She said the declaration opens up access to extra resources, such as funds for repairs from storm damage and more flexibility with emergency purchases.

City law gives the manager the authority to proclaim a local emergency, but it must be ratified by the city council within seven days or it becomes invalid.

More road closures across valley

More roads are closing across the Coachella Valley as police advise residents not to drive. Closures were being announced frequently; below is only a partial list:

Palm Springs: Police announced the closure of two more roads in Palm Springs. Farrell Drive was closed between Ramon Road and Mesquite Road.

El Cielo Road was also closed at Mesquite Avenue, while the Dinah Shore Bridge is closed from Palm Springs to Cathedral City. Golf Club Drive is also closed at the Whitewater Wash.

Indian Canyon Drive, Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino were already closed at the washes.

Cathedral City: Cathedral Canyon Drive and Dinah Shore Drive were also closed by Cathedral City Police. Los Gatos Road at Date Palm Drive was already closed.

East valley: 66th Street was closed between Van Buren Street and Jackson Street. Box Canyon Road from Interstate 10 to the All American Canal was closed in the Mecca area.

Even in areas where roads weren't fully closed, conditions were treacherous. Just after 4 p.m., two of the three eastbound lanes of Highway 111 were closed due to rocks in the road at the Cathedral City-Rancho Mirage border.

Palm Springs Police Lt. Gustavo Araiza advised residents to avoid travel in the city unless absolutely necessary and to drive with extreme caution if they must.

“We don’t need collisions tying up resources,” he said.

— Paul Albani-Burgio, Jay Calderon

Newsom, Palm Springs officials discuss storm preparedness, bridge request in Sunday visit

California Gov. Gavin Newsom stopped in Palm Springs on Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary wrecked havoc on the Coachella Valley. He met with Palm Springs city councilmembers and staff in the city’s emergency operations center.

Newsom issued a State of Emergency for much of Southern California on Saturday to support the Hilary response and recovery efforts as the state continues mobilizing and coordinating resources ahead of the storm's forecasted impacts.

The city posted photos of the visit on its Facebook page Sunday, explaining that city staff updated the governor on the city’s storm preparations while Newsom offered “whatever assistance he could provide to the city.” The post noted that Newsom had been “instrumental in bringing Oakland Urban Search and Rescue and Swift Water California OES Task Force teams to Palm Springs," where they were going to be used to assist with rescues during the storm.

They also discussed the city's request for an elevated bridge on North Indian Canyon Drive over the Whitewater Wash. The Coachella Valley Association of Governments has been trying to secure funding for such a bridge, which would reduce the need for rain and wind-related closures.

Photos show Newsom adding his name to the Emergency Operations Center sign-in sheet during his visit. Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner, City Councilmember Lisa Middleton, City Manager Scott Stiles, Police Chief Andrew Mills and Fire Chief Paul Alvarado are pictured meeting with Newsom during the visit.

— Paul Albani-Burgio

Updated rain totals: Palm Desert sees 1.18 inches by 2 p.m.

Heavy rain has moved through the Coachella Valley and brought soaking rains that have flooded many streets and intersections. Here are the latest rain totals from the National Weather Service as of 2 p.m., with rain still falling.

Palm Desert 1.18 inches

Cathedral Canyon 1 inch

Thermal airport 0.91 inches

Palm Springs Airport 0.89 inches

Lower Tahquitz Creek 0.86 inches

Flash flood, severe thunderstorm warning issued for some Coachella Valley cities

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued Flash Flood Warnings for most of the Coachella Valley until 5 p.m. Sunday.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Indio, Coachella, Thermal, La Quinta, Mecca and the Santa Rosa Mountain.

At 1:51 p.m., doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated heavy rain falling across the warned area. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1 inch in 1 hour. Hourly rainfall rates in Palm Desert have exceeded 0.75 inches per hour. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

At 1:40 p.m., doppler radar indicated heavy rain across the warned area. Rainfall rates of three-quarters of an inch per hour are occurring.

Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. The weather service warns life threatening flash flooding is possible from heavy rain, particularly of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

Motorists should turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

— Matt Solinsky

Hurricane Hilary: Heavier rain, winds forecast for Palm Springs area Sunday

The Coachella Valley remains under a tropical storm warning on Sunday morning, and a flood watch is in effect until 5 p.m. on Monday. Light rain is falling at Palm Springs International — as of 8 a.m., 0.32 inches had fallen since midnight — and the temperature is a cool 78 degrees with 88% humidity and 6-mph winds out of the southwest, according to the National Weather Service.

But more rain, and heavier wind, is on the way. Thunderstorms are in the forecast throughout the day, with an additional two to four inches of rain expected in the valley, along with wind gusts of up to 40 to 50 mph. Temps are expected to top out at 86 degrees.

NWS Meteorologist Adam Roser said the biggest threat in the Coachella Valley is "definitely flash flooding."

"Many of the mountain roads going into the valley are very vulnerable," he said. "As are any of those that go over those washes and things like that.'

Roser said most of the rain will fall in heavy bands that could potentially produce 2 inches of rain an hour in the afternoon. There also remains a small chance of tornadoes in the valley, he said.

"WIth tropical storm systems, any tornadoes are usually weak and brief, but the storm prediction center does have around a 5% chance of a tornado occurring in the area," he said.

The rain and wind will likely be finished by the time most people are waking up on Monday morning, Roser said.

— Kate Franco, Paul Albani-Burgio

How much rain has fallen so far?

So far, Tropical Storm Hilary has brought a light but steady rainfall to the Coachella Valley, but weather forecasts advise the rain should become heavier on Sunday afternoon and evening.

As of noon, official National Weather Service rain totals included 0.40 at Palm Springs International Airport, 0.46 in Thermal at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, 0.46 in Thousand Palms and 0.36 in Palm Desert.

—Matt Solinsky

Hilary makes landfall over Baja California

The now-downgraded Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall along Mexico's Baja California coast Sunday as concerns mounted over the storm causing what could be deadly flash flooding in the border city of Tijuana, Southern California and places as far north as Idaho that rarely get such heavy rain.

Hilary hit the coast in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles south of Ensenada.

The storm has already caused flooding in places across Mexico’s arid peninsula and threatens to unleash torrential rains on mudslide-prone Tijuana, where many improvised houses cling to steep hillsides just south of the U.S. border.

Forecasters warned the storm could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornadoes. Parts of the U.S. Southwest could be hit with once-in-a-century rains and there is a good chance Hilary could break all-time records as the wettest known tropical cyclone to douse Nevada, Oregon and Idaho.

As of 11 a.m. Pacific time, Hilary was located about 215 miles south-southeast of San Diego, the National Hurricane Center reported. Hilary had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving northwest at 25 mph.

The Mexican cities of Ensenada and Tijuana, directly in the storm’s path, closed all beaches and opened a half-dozen shelters at sports complexes and government offices.

—The Associated Press

Evacuation order near Banning

Riverside County has issued an evacuation order north of Banning and near the Morongo Reservation as the worst of Tropical Storm Hilary's impacts approach.

The county's emergency management department announced the order late Sunday morning for the Mias zone in the Apple/ElDorado burn scar.

—City News Service

Splash House says it will carry on amid storm

Organizers of Splash House said the Palm Springs pool party and music festival will go on Sunday despite Tropical Storm Hilary's expected inundation of the Coachella Valley and the rest of Southern California.

Earlier in the weekend, the festival had been moved inside at the three hotels where it's held, which are miles apart.

"We're gonna keep it real with you — we're not big fans of today's projected weather," organizers wrote in an Instagram post about 10 a.m. Sunday. "But we are big fans of keeping this party going safely. Let's take things inside and close out this weekend in unprecedented style!"

Events will be at the Renaissance, Margaritaville Resort and Saguaro Palm Springs hotels between about 1 p.m. and 9 p.m., according to an online schedule.

"Shuttles with run as planned between hotels," the Instagram post said, without addressing the possible heavy rain — predicted to be as much as two inches an hour at times Sunday afternoon.

Local and national officials, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have advised people to stay indoors and off the roads during the storm.

Later, organizers seemingly acknowledged the storm could make it hard for festival attendees from out of town to drive or fly out as scheduled. They posted a list of hotels that were offering late checkout and discounted rates for extending stays.

—Eric Hartley

Most flights canceled out of Palm Springs on Sunday

Ahead of the anticipated impacts from now Tropical Storm Hilary, a majority of airlines have canceled flights in and out of Palm Springs International Airport on Sunday.

As of 9 a.m., only five of 15 flight arrivals through 6 p.m were still scheduled. United, American and WestJet all canceled flights into the airport. Southwest Airlines canceled its entire Sunday schedule at the airport a day earlier.

Delta’s flight from Salt Lake City to Palm Springs that arrives at 12:18 p.m. Sunday was one of the few still scheduled.

Eight of 10 evening flight arrivals into Palm Springs were still scheduled, as were several evening departures, but airport officials cautioned anyone flying to check ahead with their airline before arriving at the airport.

—Matt Solinsky

Hurricane Hilary within striking distance of Baja early Sunday

The National Weather Center in Miami said in the most recent advisory at 2 a.m. that Hurricane Hilary was about 30 miles south of Punta Eugenia, Mexico, and 385 miles from San Diego, California. The maximum sustained wind speed remained unchanged at 85 mph while spreading “heavy rains” northward over the peninsula.

Meteorologists warned that despite weakening, the storm remained treacherous. Forecasters said the storm was still expected to enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages.

Elizabeth Adams, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service San Diego office, said rain could fall up to 3 inches an hour across the desert and mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley and beyond from late Sunday morning into the afternoon. The intense rainfall during those hours could cause widespread and life-threatening flash floods.

One person drowned Saturday in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia, on the peninsula’s eastern coast, when a vehicle was swept away in an overflowing stream. Rescue workers managed to save four other people, said Edith Aguilar Villavicencio, the mayor of Mulege township.

It was not immediately clear whether officials considered the fatality related to the hurricane, but video posted by local officials showed torrents of water coursing through the town’s streets.

The forecast prompted authorities to issue an evacuation advisory for Santa Catalina Island, urging residents and beachgoers to leave the tourist destination 23 miles off the coast.

— The Associated Press

Hurricane Hilary: Storm drops 0.32 inches at Palm Springs International Sunday

As of 7 a.m. Sunday, rainfall totals since midnight were 0.32 inches at Palm Springs International Airport, 0.41 inches at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal and 0.29 inches in Thousand Palms, according to the National Weather Service.

— Matt Solinsky

Rain totals so far Sunday in Palm Springs area

Preliminary precipitation data from the National Weather Service's San Diego station shows 24-hour rain totals as of 5 a.m. Sunday in the Coachella Valley vary from 0.86 inches in Thermal to 0.04 inches in Indio Hills. Palm Springs International Airport reported 0.18 inches of rain so far.

Thermal: 0.86 inches

Morongo Valley: 0.39 inches

Desert Hot Springs: 0.31 inches

Palm Springs International Airport: 0.18 inches

Palm Desert: 0.16 inches

Indio Hills: 0.04 inches

— Kate Franco

Road closures in Palm Springs, Cathedral City

Palm Springs: Indian Canyon Drive, Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino will be closed at the washes until further notice in preparation of potential flooding due to Hurricane Hilary, the Palm Springs Police Department announced late Saturday.

Cathedral City: Los Gatos Road at Date Palm Drive has been closed, city officials said Saturday.

—Niki Kottmann

Gov. Gavin Newsom declares State of Emergency

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a State of Emergency for much of Southern California Saturday to support the Hurricane Hilary response and recovery efforts as the state continues mobilizing and coordinating resources ahead of the storm's forecasted impacts.

Heavy rainfall and high winds were expected to last through Monday. At the governor's direction, there were currently more than 7,500 boots on the ground deployed to help local communities protect Californians from the impacts of Hilary.

The governor also signed an emergency proclamation in San Diego while visiting with California National Guard troops. He met with first responders and local officials, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. He was also in touch with federal officials, including the White House.

The Emergency Medical Services Authority has assets on standby, including California Medical Assistance Teams to augment local capacity, aid in evacuations and support medical needs in communities impacted by flooding. The EMSA was ready to assist with Ambulance Strike Teams as necessary to support local communities. The Flood Operations Center is activated and has prepositioned flood-fight materials should they be needed.

—City News Service

Sandbag availability low, exhausted in some valley cities

Sand and sandbags are no longer available at local fire stations in Palm Desert as of Saturday afternoon. Instead, residents can find these resources at the Palm Desert Civic Center, 43-900 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert.

Rancho Mirage ran out of sand at its distribution site at the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory parking lot, so many people took their empty bags to a nearby empty lot to fill them with sand straight from the ground. Empty sandbags are still available for Rancho Mirage residents at Fire Station 69 at 71-751 Gerald Ford Drive. Proof of Rancho Mirage address is required.

Indian Wells announced mid-afternoon on Saturday that sandbags are no longer available from that city, and residents are encouraged to seek supplies from local home improvement stores, instead.

—Niki Kottmann

Hurricane Hilary: How experts say you should prepare

Two Palm Springs emergency officials have some advice for valley residents on how they can prepare their homes and themselves for the storm. The officials are Capt. Nathan Gunkel of the city fire department and Daniel DeSelms, Palm Springs’ emergency management coordinator.

To protect yourself:

They said residents should make sure they have enough food and water to make it through a few days, including food that can be eaten if the power goes out.

They also recommended preparing for the power outages by charging their cellphones and making sure they have flashlights and batteries on hand. DeSelms said he generally recommends using flashlights rather than candles because of the fire risks that come with candles.

In general, they said residents should be prepared to remain at home for multiple days as it will likely be unsafe to go out during the storm and roads could potentially remained closed or impassable even after it passes.

Gunkel recommended that residents make sure they know how to get out of their neighborhoods in the event the city does need to evacuate, keeping in mind that roads like Indian Canyon Drive and Gene Autry Road will likely be impassable. However, he said people should remember it is impossible to anticipate which other roads may be closed.

To protect your home:

Both DeSelms and Gunkel recommend residents make use of the free sandbags Palm Springs and other cities and agencies are providing, particularly if their homes have ever experienced flooding in the past. It often makes sense to place sand bags in front of the front door or other places where water might pool, Gunkel said.

DeSelms also said those with leaky roofs can put a tarp over them. However, he cautioned that it is important to try to make sure the tarp will be secured enough to withstand the strong expected winds.

— Paul Albani-Burgio

Tropical storm: Eastern Shore braces for impact

As Tropical Storm Ophelia prepares to make landfall, the Delmarva Peninsula braces itself by updating storm readiness information. Here is the latest.

As of Friday, the National Hurricane Center forecasts tropical storm conditions including heavy rainfall, strong winds, flooding and storm surge across portions of the southeast coast and mid-Atlantic. Widespread 2-4 inches of rainfall is expected throughout the eastern part of region, with local amounts up to 6 or more inches possible. This could lead to flash flooding.

Strong winds could lead to downed trees and power outages. Storm surge, which is the abnormal rising of water generated during a hurricane or tropical system, could reach 1 to 4 feet and inundate parts of coastal communities. High tides are likely to also exacerbate flooding. The effects from the storm are expected to last through Sunday.

More on the initial reportingTropical storm warning: High winds, heavy rains coming to Ocean City, Delmarva

FEMA Region 3, which includes Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, encourages all residents to follow the instructions of their local emergency managers especially if asked to evacuate.

"By not following evacuation orders, you not only put yourself at risk, but potentially first responders as well," the weather service report said.

“I encourage residents in Virginia, Delaware and Maryland to prepare their families and homes now should they experience the impact of this storm, especially those along the coast,” said FEMA Region 3 Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney. “Ensure you have emergency supplies on hand and are ready to evacuate if instructed to do so. If it is safe, check on neighbors who may require assistance. This includes individuals with children, as well as older adults and people with disabilities.”

Ocean City battens down the hatches

The National Weather Service's office in Wakefield, Va., has placed Ocean City under a tropical storm warning. Ocean City Emergency Services is continuing to monitor the storm.

Currently, effects of the storm are expected to be seen in the Ocean City area beginning late Friday through Saturday.

Winds in excess of 40 mph are expected, with gusts reaching as high as 55 mph. Heavy rainfall is expected with rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches. Flooding is possible, especially in the downtown area.

More on past hurricane activityWatch: Rough surf comes to Ocean City as Hurricane Lee moves north off East Coast

Town of Ocean City personnel have begun completing pre-storm action items, including closing the seawall and removing items from the beach. Residents are encouraged to begin securing outdoor furniture, grills and water vessels, and prepare for power outages.

Somerset County issues evacuation warning

"Due to the impending storm … and the prediction of strong sustained winds, tidal flooding and an extended period of rain, the Somerset County Commissioners and Emergency Operations Center recommend a voluntary evacuation of Smith Island and other flood-prone areas of the county," the county said in statement.

Washington High School will be open as a shelter at 6 p.m. Friday for those that need it. Pets are allowed; bring their shot records, medications and crates if you have them.

Transportation to the shelter will be provided from the following locations at 5 p.m.:

Crisfield Fire Department (a stop will also be made at Marion Fire Department around 5:30 p.m.)

Fairmount Fire Department

Deal Island Fire Department

Mt. Vernon Fire Department

Residents should bring blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, medications and personal hygiene items. If you have special dietary needs, bring your own supplies.

Highway travel impacted

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration is preparing for Tropical Storm Ophelia.

"According to the latest forecast, the lower Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland counties will be most affected.Forecasters are predicting several foot Chesapeake Bay tidal surges associated with the storm, which will cause flooding in low-lying shore areas within the Chesapeake Bay watershed," MDOT warned in a statement.

The State Highway Administration reminded motorists to avoid travel unless necessary. If you are driving during a storm, or shortly after, you might find a variety of dangerous situations. Please take extreme caution if you must go out. Here are some tips for motorists, MDOT advised.

Do not try to cross a flooded road. Eighty percent of flood-related deaths occur in vehicles. “Turn Around. Don’t Drown.” Two feet of rapidly moving water can float a bus and 6 inches can knock a person off their feet;

Avoid downed or damaged power and transmission wires and cables;

Be cognizant of fallen trees or severely damaged brush; and

Keep alert for wild animals, such as deer, that will be fleeing dangerous areas and crossing the roads.

More on IdaliaAs Hurricane Idalia bears down on Florida, what can Eastern Shore expect later in week?

For a complete listing of highway incidents on state roads in real-time, click here. Motorists in need of roadside assistance on a state highway numbered routes may dial #77 on their mobile devices.

Virginia issues state of emergency

On Friday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency in advance of Tropical Storm Ophelia, which is expected to have impacts on Virginia beginning Friday.

This is an unusual storm, which has been difficult to accurately forecast, approaching large population centers with many at-risk communities, the governor's office said. Accordingly, the pre-positioning of response assets and supplies will be necessary to assist our local and state partners.

The Virginia Emergency Support Team will activate for this incident.

List of closures

The following are the latest closures:

The Beach Clean Up events scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23, are canceled due to predicted storm conditions. The event is canceled in both the Maryland and the Virginia districts as well as Assateague State Park.

More on weather patternsWhat El Niño and La Niña ocean patterns mean for hurricane season and tornadoes