The Coachella Valley has been drenched with rain from an atmospheric river that affected Northern California as well. Due to the massive amount of rainfall, Palm Springs has already experienced one of its 10 wettest days on record. But Palm Springs isn't the only city seeing heavy rainfall. Other parts of the desert are experiencing wet conditions including Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and other surrounding cities. Many roads and events throughout the valley are being closed and canceled. Read an updated story on road closures and best ways to get around the area. Palm Springs officials have also asked residents to "shelter in place" as emergency services have been "heavily impacted." Here's a list of Coachella Valley closures: More:Palm Springs officials ask residents to 'shelter in place' as area experiences one of 10 wettest days More:Swift-water rescues in Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs after heavy rainfall and flooding More:Flooding, debris reported throughout Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree after heavy rainfall More:Sinkhole swallows part of Highway 243 near Idyllwild after storm hits More:Big Bear closes ski operations for the day due to 'atmospheric river' hitting SoCal Coachella Valley road closures N. Gene Autry Trail between I10 and Via Escuela, Palm Springs South Palm Canyon at Murray Canyon, Palm Springs Highway 111 between Palm Springs and I-10, North Palm Springs Cathedral Canyon Drive at the wash, Cathedral City Vista Chino at the wash, on the border of Cathedral City and Palm Springs Varner Road between Mountain View and Edom Hill Road, in unincorporated Riverside County just north of Cathedral City Country Club Drive at the wash in Palm Desert Fred Waring Drive on both sides from Cook Street to El Dorado Drive (local access is available eastbound only on Fred Waring Drive at Cook Street), Palm Desert Highway 111 south from Interstate 10 (with northbound lanes open) due to mudslide, Whitewater/ unincorporated Riverside County Indian Canyon Drive north of Gateway Drive and south of I-10, North Palm Springs Farrell South of Ramon Road, Palm Springs El Cielo south of Ramon Road, Palm Springs Araby Drive at the wash, Palm Springs Frank Sinatra Drive is closed at Whitewater wash, Palm Desert Cathedral Canyon at the wash, Cathedral City Golf Club Drive at Tahquitz Creek, Palm Springs Baristo Road at South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs East Vista Chino between North Gene Autry and Cathedral City Los Gatos at Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City Dune Palms Road from Westward Ho Drive to Highway 111, La Quinta Highway 74 from Lake Hemet to Valle Vista (roadway loss), near Mountain Center Highway 74 at Apple Canyon on both sides of Herkey Creek, just northwest of Lake Hemet Other closures and cancellations Flights in and out of Palm Springs International Airport were experiencing some delays as a result of the weather, and a few flights have been canceled. Check your flight info. Boys & Girls Club - Palm Springs Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon parks, Palm Springs VillageFest, Palm Springs Palm Springs Unified School District's Science Fair/STEAM Expo has been postponed until Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Richards Center at Palm Springs High School. The Desert Sun staff contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Parts of the Coachella Valley got at least half an inch of rain overnight as a storm passes through the region. By 5 a.m. Thursday, 1.5 inches of rain was reported in Whitewater, according to the National Weather Service. That was the highest measurement within the Coachella Valley. Of the city areas, a portion of Golf Club Drive in Palm Springs got 0.59 inches. Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City each reported 0.51 inches. Communities to the east, including Indio and Thermal, showed data ranging from 0.20 to 0.31 inches. Rain update for Thursday, Feb. 14:Numerous roads in Palm Springs area closed due to flooding; Holy Fire evacuation still in place The storm is expected to last through Thursday and bring 1.5 inches to western communities. "We are expecting it to get a little bit heavier," said Samantha Connolly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. The heavy rain and winds come to Riverside County as residents in 13 neighborhoods near the Holy Fire burn area remain under mandatory evacuation orders Wednesday afternoon . "People in these zones must go now because it is the safest time to leave," Cal Fire said in a news release. The impacted neighborhoods are: Amorose, Alberhill, Glen Eden, Glen Ivy A, Glen Ivy B, Grace, Horsethief A, Horsethief B, Laguna A, Maitri, McVicker A, Rice and Withrow. Alvarado A and Lakeside A, two adjacent neighborhoods, are under a voluntary evacuation warning. Evacuated residents looking for a place to rest during the storm can stop at the reception and care center at Temescal Canyon High School in Lake Elsinore. The center, which has sometimes become an overnight shelter, is located at 28532 El Toro Road. People living near the Cranston Fire burn scar also are under a voluntary evacuation warning. The impacted areas include Hurkey Creek, Apple Canyon, Lake Hemet and Fleming Ranch. An evacuation center has been set up at Idyllwild School, 26700 Highway 243. Shortly before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the California Department of Transportation closed Highway 74 from Lake Hemet to Mountain Center due to rock slides. But just before 9 p.m., authorities reopened the roadway and urged motorists to "drive with caution and watch out for newly fallen rocks" along highways 74 and 243. As residents living in the burn scars face evacuation, people in the Coachella Valley cities of Indio, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Coachella and Desert Hot Springs will be under a wind advisory from the National Weather Service from 1 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Saturday, meaning winds out of the west could reach 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 55 mph. More:Water officials warn Desert Xers to stay away from 'dangerous,' prohibited site during rain More:Pack your bags. The super bloom is about to be epic in the California desert At times during that period, it's possible for winds out of the south to southwest could reach 35 to 45 mph with gusts of 65 mph. Coachella Valley communities and other desert areas could expect about three-quarters of an inch of rain Wednesday and Thursday, the weather service said. According to the National Weather Service, a massive trough of low pressure loaded with energy from the Gulf of Alaska and a disturbance farther south in the Pacific will begin spreading across the region Wednesday, gathering strength as it makes landfall. "Rainfall will become heavy at times on Wednesday night, with the heaviest rainfall on Thursday as the trough passes by to the north, providing additional lift of the tropical moisture," according to a weather service statement. The weather service issued a flash-flood watch for the Riverside County mountains, valleys and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning that will be in effect from late Wednesday through Thursday evening. A high-wind warning also will be in effect in the mountains from noon Wednesday through 10 p.m. Thursday. The Coachella Valley was not included in either advisory. More:More areas evacuated as Holy Fire grows More:Holy Fire arson suspect Forrest Gordon Clark will stand trial Forecasters said the moisture "plume'' will pack a one-two punch that could, cumulatively, produce as much as 10 inches of precipitation in isolated locations, mainly in and around mountains. A wide area skirting the eastern boundary of the national forest, including Lake Elsinore and the Temescal Valley, was left exposed to potential flood damage because of the 23,000-acre Holy Fire in August. The blaze denuded steep terrain below Santiago Peak, permitting water to flow unchecked onto lower slopes where subdivisions are situated. A man has been charged with arson in connection with the blaze. Snow levels are generally expected to remain above 8,000 feet. The western halves of Riverside and San Bernardino counties are predicted to receive anywhere from 2 to 3 inches as the atmospheric river rolls eastward, forecasters said. Details about how to prepare and where to go when an evacuation order is issued can be found at rivcoready.org. Residents can also sign up for emergency alert notifications via the website. More:Box Canyon Road getting repaired after flooding shut it down months ago More:Rain is pushing up wildflower season, but the new growth shouldn't affect wildfire season During a three-part storm series between Jan. 31 and Feb. 4, the EMD issued mandatory evacuation orders covering the Glen Ivy, Horsethief Canyon and McVicker Park communities on the north side of Lake Elsinore and south of El Cerrito, along Interstate 15. Mud and debris flows prompted several street closures, but no significant damage was reported in connection with the storms. According to the weather service, fragments of another storm system will impact Southern California Friday through Sunday, during which scattered showers are in the forecast. City News Service contributed to this report. Shane Newell covers breaking news and the western Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. He can be reached at Shane.Newell@DesertSun.com, (760) 778-4649 or on Twitter at @journoshane.<doc-sep>
Community Corner Floods Close Desert Roads Overnight, Prompt Evacuations Road closures were widespread throughout the desert area due to the heavy rain, which caused flooding and some rockslides. Reply PALM SPRINGS, CA — The major storm that swept across Southern California prompted flooding and road closures across the Coachella Valley Thursday, with some expected to continue overnight. As rain intensified through the morning and into the afternoon, the Palm Springs Fire Department issued a "shelter in place" warning to all residents and visitors. "With heavy rain and flooding like we are experiencing today, it is safer to stay off roadways and shelter in place," Palm Springs Fire Chief Kevin Nalder said. Late Thursday afternoon, the Palm Springs Police Department issued voluntary evacuation orders at the Horizon Mobile Home Park in the 3500 block of East Palm Canyon Drive due to rising water in an adjacent wash. Officers moved through the park to notify residents, but no damage or injuries had been reported. The city also issued a voluntary evacuation order for all residents of Araby Cove south of the wash. Well in the Desert, a local nonprofit shelter, announced it will remain open through the night for people needing shelter, and the Red Cross was working to set up a temporary shelter at the Palm Springs Pavilion, 401 S. Pavilion Way, for residents who leave their homes. Road closures were widespread throughout the desert area due to the heavy rain, which caused flooding and some rockslides. Flooding was reported on eastbound Interstate 10 in Cabazon and a stretch of Highway 111 was closed between Interstate 10 and Overture Drive in both directions in Palm Springs. That stretch was expected to remain closed overnight, along with a series of other roadways, including portions of Gene Autry Trail, Indian Canyon Road, Farrell Drive, El Cielo Drive and Baristo Road. At least three sections of state Route 243 between Banning and Idyllwild were compromised because of storm runoff, Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Terri Kasinga said. Storm runoff opened a massive sinkhole that washed away most of the pavement in one section. The mountain highway was closed to through traffic and likely will remain out of service for the rest of the month, Caltrans officials said.