Tropical Storm Hilary Damage and Economic Loss Estimate in Western U.S. is $7B to $9B

AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Tropical Storm Hilary in the U.S. is $7 to $9 billion.

Hilary brought widespread flooding through Southern California, washing out roads and bridges, flooding cars and homes, and shutting down businesses.

The storm then continued its way up through Nevada and the northern Rockies, bringing continued heavy rain and flooding to the region. Las Vegas declared a state of emergency Sunday. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Saturday as Hilary approached. More than 1,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, tens of thousands of power customers in California were without power from the storm, Sunday.

“As Hilary’s rain moved into the U.S, the storm was moving along swiftly at 20 mph or greater though still produced widespread heavy rain and associated flash flooding, especially in the mountains and the deserts,” AccuWeather chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter stated. “Had the storm been moving along at a more typical forward speed for tropical storms, such as 10-12 mph, rainfall could have been much worse than it was, with even more severe impacts.”

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA Profit Loss Windstorm