Hurricane Hilary (since downgraded to Tropical Storm Hilary) has hit southern California on its way up from Mexico, marking the first tropical storm in the state since 1997 (Hurricane Nora). As a result of Hilary's path, MLB had the Los Angeles Dodgers move their Sunday game to Saturday, which ended up creating a double-header with the Miami Marlins.
By Sunday evening, the schedule shift proved to be prudent, as Dodger Stadium was under water. Everyone was shocked to see the flooding from the storm, which is entirely uncharacteristic for a state that primarily suffers from droughts and wildfires.
Thankfully, Hilary has been downgraded as it continues to weaken, but the threat of floods and high winds remain until further notice. California has already experienced record amounts of rainfall from Hilary's initial burst.
Hilary's uncharacteristic path had the center of the storm right over Dodger Stadium around 8:15 p.m., per the LA Times, and it made for the concerning coverage in the aftermath.
The LA Times says it'll take days to assess the damage of Hillary and the "true extent" of the flooding may not be known until Monday night.
Wild scene at Dodger Stadium today pic.twitter.com/xXzQoT0N1T
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) August 21, 2023
Jarring Dodger Stadium flood picture has Dodgers fans wondering what's next
The damage to Dodger Stadium and the surrounding areas is unclear at the moment, and at least the team's schedule helps lessen the burden. The Dodgers began a six-game road trip on Monday and the stadium has no events scheduled until the BLACKPINK concert on Saturday night.
Hilary is now moving inland, and experts are concerned floods and mudslides could turn deadly due to the unexpected amount of rainfall to areas that do not experience flooding (in addition to the mountainous regions that could pose great danger).
It will take days to determine the full scope of the damage to Southern California — and to understand why some areas were hit harder than others.
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 21, 2023
The true extent of flooding probably won’t be known until later Monday.https://t.co/JrCV3fRWUF
The Dodgers will return home next Monday, and hopefully there won't be any delays to the seven-game homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves. At this rate, fans can expect unsettling news in some capacity, since Dodger Stadium has never seen anything like this.
We'll be providing updates as they become available.