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Tropical Storm Norbert Brings Floods to California, Nevada and Arizona

Despite losing much of its power, Norbert has been creating moisture that brought floods to parts of California, southern Nevada, and Arizona.
Image: Tropical Storm Norbert
This September 6, 2014 NASA Terra satellite image shows Hurricane Norbert over Baja, Callifornia. More than 2,500 people were evacuated and a fishing village severely flooded as Hurricane Norbert swirled off Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday, officials said. The storm had surged to a category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale but by late Saturday had lost some of its punch and was a category two system, said the US National Weather Service, packing top sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (155 km/h). Additional weakening was expected in the next 48 hours, forecasters said. But heavy rains throughout the region were still expected, with the central and northern regions of the Baja peninsula bearing the brunt. Around 2,500 people had flocked to evacuation shelters in Mexico after the storm lashed coastal communities, said Comondu mayor Venustiano Perez. NASA via AFP - Getty Images

Torrential rain in the southwest was set to cause worsening flash floods Monday as the region began to feel the full effects from Tropical Storm Norbert. Despite losing much of its power as well as its hurricane status, Norbert brought floods to parts of California, southern Nevada, and Arizona over the weekend. Monday was set to be the worst day yet - with the hardest hit area north and west of Phoenix. "Today will be the worst of it," said Weather Channel Lead Forecaster Guy Walton. "It will be most severe in the wash areas that are prone to flooding." The National Weather Service issued flash-flood watches across the region and a flash-flood warning west of Phoenix.

In Southern California, flash floods damaged buildings, flattened trees, and left cars under water in the Inland Empire area, NBC Los Angeles reported. Norburt, 200 miles off Mexico's coast, intensified Saturday to become the 10th hurricane in the Pacific season, before weakening Sunday. Elsewhere, parts of the Carolinas were in for up to five inches of rain Monday, and 125,000 homes and businesses in Michigan were still in the dark 9 p.m. ET Sunday after what DTF Energy called "one of the most damaging storms...in the past century."

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- Alexander Smith