Major roads in DHS expected to remain closed for another 6 to 9 months due to tropical storm damage
Three major roads in Desert Hot Springs are expected to be closed for at least half-a-year due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Hilary.
Desert Hot Springs' interim deputy city manager, Daniel Porras, shared a quick update on the roads during Tuesday's city council meeting.
You can watch the full updates in the Sept. 19 City Council Meeting Below (Starts at about 59:00:00)
Porras said N Indian Canyon Drive, not at the wash, Little Morongo and Dillon Road, all at the Mission Creek Cross, are expected to be closed for another six to nine months due to damage caused by Hilary.
"Right now there's absolutely no crossing at Mission Creek, it's completely gone," Porras said regarding Indian Canyon. "Mission Creek's original size and depth have increased. The depth is about double what it was before and the width is about two-to-six times wider."
Porras said the city's engineers determined that the Indian Canyon roadway will require full replacement from Mission Lake Boulevard to Scenic Drive.
The estimated cost for the redesign of the Mission Lake Crossing at Indian Canyon is estimated at $2.5 million. The estimated timetable for this project is 6 to 9 months.
The Mission Creek Crossing at Little Morongo Road and Dillon Road will also need to be redesigned due to the damage.
The redesign for Little Morongo is about $1.5 million. The estimated timetable for this project is 6 to 8 months.
Dillon Road at Mission Creek Road had approximately 300 feet of road that were washed out. The creek here is now three times deeper and four times wider, Porras said.
"Our engineers determined that a low water crossing that was previously there could not function due to the new creek elevation size," Porras said. "So before there was a low water crossing where the water could just flow right over. Now, it's so deep that it's pretty much impossible to redo that without redesigning or changing the entire creek."
The redesign for Dillon Road is expected to cost $1.5 million with a 6 to 9 month timetable on construction.
Desert Hot Springs will have more details during a presentation during their next meeting on October 3.
Check Out: Teen killed in crash at storm-related closure in Desert Hot Springs
For more on the impact of the storm on Desert Hot Springs, check out our report from Aug. 23.
According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, Riverside County reported damages in the estimated amount of $128,835,835. The damage was widespread throughout the Coachella Valley.
N Indian Canyon at the Whitewater Wash in Palm Springs will be shut down for months due to the damage to that major roadway.
Damage categories include (not a complete listing)*:
- $82,772,375 – Roads and Bridges
- Officials said N Indian Canyon Drive, a key roadway in and out of Palm Springs, will remain closed for two months due to the damage from the storm
- In Cathedral City alone, city officials tell News Channel 3 that they have estimated more than $25 million in just public damages. The Panorama neighborhood near Date Palm and Vista Chino was buried by several feet of mud.
- $25,783,000 – Water Control Facilities
- That includes the flooding on the I-10 freeway that left the freeway closed for hours Sunday night into Monday and damages to bridges like the Pierson Bridge in Desert Hot Springs.
- $16,628,417 – Individual Assistance (Private Property)
- $6,151,905 – Debris Removal
- $3,417,077 – Emergency Protective Measures
Residents and businesses can report damages via an online form at RivCoReady.org/ActiveEvents or by calling 2-1-1.
Greater Palm Springs Realtors has a fund available to help homeowners and renters affected by the local declared emergency disasters in the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary. Anyone in Palm Springs, Cathedral City or Desert Hot Springs whose housing was impacted by the 2023 storm may be eligible for financial assistance up to $2,500.
To apply for disaster relief assistance, please visit gpsr.info/relief.
County officials said property owners who incurred damage from Tropical Storm Hilary of $10,000 or more can file a claim for disaster property tax relief with Riverside County. Property owners must file the form with the Riverside County Assessor's office within a year from the date of the damaged or destroyed property in order to qualify for the tax relief.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary.
