Around 400 remain trapped in Death Valley due to Hurricane Hilary

DEATH VALLEY, California (KOLO) - Officials with Death Valley National Park say around 400 people remain trapped in the park due to closures forced by Hurricane Hilary.

They say the residents, travelers, and employees are sheltering in place in Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, and Panamint Springs. They are trapped there until the area roads are safely passable, a date that remains unknown.

The National Park Service and the California Highway Patrol are searching for stranded people Monday in the park’s remote areas, as park officials assess the damage caused by the storm.

Caltrans and NPS are working on clearing an exit route on CA-190 from Stovepipe Wells to Death Valley Junction to allow those trapped to exit.

Park officials say Death Valley received their average annual rainfall of 2.20 inches over the weekend. If verified, it would mark the single rainiest day in Furnace Creek history, toppling the record of 1.7 inches set on Aug. 5, 2022.

Electrical and cell service has been restored for the park as of 1:30 p.m. Monday, however NPS land line phones remain down. The park is also responding to a broken sewer line releasing raw sewage near Stovepipe Wells.