Briefs

USC braces for Tropical Storm Hilary

Fall semester starting as the first tropical storm hits Southern California in 84 years.

Photo of rain.

Rain falls at the Troy apartment complex in Los Angeles (Photo by Drake Lee).

By Drake Lee

USC staff and students are bracing for torrential rain and wind from Tropical Storm Hilary. The full force of the storm is not expected to hit Southern California until late Sunday, just as classes are scheduled to begin Monday.

USC Facilities Planning and Management has been checking power generators, clearing storm drains, deploying sandbags and taking other precautionary measures. The school is also open to rescheduling classes and activities, according to a note sent to students Friday.

“We will communicate with the campus community through our TrojansAlert notification system and other forms of communication if there are changes in schedules for activities or classes as a result of the storm,” said the Office of the Senior Vice President for Administration in an email.

The email also noted that USC Housing is following the standard procedure for extreme weather, utilizing floor mats, checking storm drains, and keeping an open line of communication with housing residents.

USC Women’s Soccer’s Sunday game against Georgia was canceled due to the storm, according to the USC Athletics website.

The National Weather Service sent a flash flood warning for LA County. Up to 1.5 inches of rain is expected to fall per hour in several areas.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a public safety alert for Catalina Island, which is home to the USC Wrigley Institute. On Saturday, scores of people scrambled to leave the island via boats that ferry people to the mainland, local news reports showed.