The drought in Southern California is over. Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit the region in 84 years, brought some areas more than half a year’s worth of rain in just one day.
Flooded streets made driving dangerous. In Thousand Palms, the streets were impassable from flash flooding.
Ahead of the storm, residents flooded stores, stocking up on supplies and filling sandbags.
And in the middle of Hilary, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the Los Angeles area, during storm coverage at a local TV station.
“Our studio is shaking right now so not only are we dealing with a tropical storm but it appears we are now dealing with an earthquake,” the news anchor said.
Meanwhile, President Biden arrives on Maui today to meet first responders and survivors of the deadly wildfires that took at least 114 lives, and perhaps many many more.
He’ll also face victims angry about the federal government response.
Dramatic new video from the early hours of the devastating fires in Maui shows what firefighters faced as they arrived in the town of Lahaina, already engulfed by the fire.
More than 800 people are still missing as search crews continue going through fire-ravaged homes and buildings.
With Maui’s water contaminated, CBN’s Operation Blessing has partnered with Youth With a Mission to provide water filtration and other much needed supplies.
Justin Jenkins of Operation Blessing said, “We have water filtration units that clean that water. So, we took those filtration units to that community center and then the people at the community center are going to take those filters and bring them into areas in Lahaina so that many families can now have access to good clean drinking water.”
Their church destroyed, worshippers from the United Methodist Church gathered Sunday at a coffee house, 23 miles away.
Ernesto and Adoracion Garcia, their home destroyed by fire, are among many victims who are still thankful.
Ernesto said, “I am grateful to God that we’re still alive. That’s the most important thing.”
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN
