Tijuana is still forecasting rain Sunday night and authorities are asking not to let their guard down

Authorities said Tijuana is still waiting for a rain cell Sunday night from Tropical Storm Hillary. Therefore, the community was asked to stay at home if possible.

“Tell the population to protect themselves, we are still on pre-alert and we will take care of any emergency,” said the government minister, Miguel Angel Boganda, at a session of the Civil Protection Council in Tijuana.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Tijuana police reported 17 no-injury traffic accidents, four collisions and one overturned vehicle. Also, falling fences, trees and poles.

It was reported that the Mexican Army was supported by 90 personnel to patrol the streets, or follow up on any report or need as part of a national operation. The items will also support the removal of debris from landslides should they occur.

About 60 people have gone to shelters set up by the city, said Gerardo Lopez, Tijuana’s minister of social welfare. The city still accommodates 260 people in several temporary shelters.

Shelters will remain open for as long as the community requests, and once the storm has passed, the addresses of people who come will be assessed. Lopez noticed a greater response compared to other rains.

“In the past, temporary shelters were set up and we had no visits or (they were) very sporadic, and today we have 60 citizens who decided to save their lives and the lives of their families,” he said.

Less vehicular flow is observed in the city. Even the border crossings seemed slow since early morning.

So far the city is quiet. We are all gathered here to weather this tropical storm.

While the community was preparing for the passing of the rains. Residents of the neighborhood of Nueva Esperanza in the eastern part of Tijuana have done so since the first hours of rain.

Santiago Jimenez, who lives in a house next to the highway, reinforced his roof with tarpaulin and went out to cut a piece of concrete next to the sidewalk to prevent water from accumulating.

Santiago Jimenez cuts through a section of concrete to free water from pooling in preparation for Tropical Storm Hillary at Colonia Nueva Esperanza on Sunday, August 20, 2023 in Tijuana, Baja California.

(Ana Ramirez/San Diego Union-Tribune)

A block away, Carlos Dominguez was also reinforcing the roof of his house with tarpaulin, in the company of two other men. He said he went out in the morning to buy groceries, such as bread and cereal, in preparation for the rain.

For its part, Tijuana firefighters reported saving two people who tried to cross a water highway in Monzon Valley. Firefighters also reported a broken fence in the Cubelas Sur area.

Tijuana’s beaches are closed as a precaution, although this morning some people came to take pictures and walk the boardwalk.

Baja California State Governor Marina del Pilar Avila reported that Mexicali and San Felipe recorded outages in the electricity supply. He said that the gangs of the Federal Electricity Authority (CFE) are working to solve the problem to restore service.

From early on, Ávila has asked residents not to lower their guard, stay safe and drive carefully if they need to go out. In turn, they were required to report any emergency to 911.

The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador reported medium-sized damage in Baja California, and added that “so far it’s only raining in the area.”