About 70 runners and volunteers participating in Utah’s Moab 240 ultramarathon were evacuated from the rugged outdoor race course on Sunday after being stranded overnight by a heavy rainstorm that hit the area, authorities said.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday that it coordinated with race organizers to assist the stranded runners, who had been unable to safely leave the affected areas.

Destination Trail, which organizes and manages the race, said in an update on Sunday afternoon that buses were evacuating the final group of affected participants, who were stuck at an aid station near the Bridger Jack Mesa in the Bear Ears National Monument.

“We know this isn’t how anyone hoped Moab 240 would go,” Destination Trail said in a social media post to the stranded participants. “So many of you trained for months and traveled a long way to be here, and we’re truly sorry the race ended this way. Sometimes the weather has other plans, and when it does, everyone’s safety has to come first.”

Race officials said additional supplies were delivered to aid stations ahead of the storm, providing the stranded runners and volunteers with heated tents, hot food and plenty of water.

The Moab 240 race is a 241.8-mile ultramarathon that takes runners through the desert, canyons, slick-rock formations and two mountain ranges, while surrounded by Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.

The race started on Friday in Moab, Utah, and was slated to end on Tuesday.

Moab 240 organizers announced Sunday that the rest of the race has been called off due to bad weather.

The organization said in a statement on Facebook that the weather has become too dangerous to safely continue, with conditions expected to get worse Sunday evening. Runners are being held at their nearest aid stations and are being told to shelter there until crews can pick them up.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, which made landfall in Baja California, continued to sweep across the West on Sunday, fueling flooding in several Western states, including Utah.

A combination of large ocean swells stirred up by Rachel and prolonged swells due in part to an El Niño-enhanced Kelvin wave has produced major flooding along Southern California’s coast and is fueling coastal flooding in Southern California and heavy rainstorms in Utah, Arizona and Nevada.

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The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, along with a separate storm system over the Western United States, continued to sweep across the West on Sunday, fueling flooding in several Southern California coastal communities.

Post-Tropical Storm Rachel made landfall in Baja California Saturday night, but as it moved in, its impact was already being felt along the West Coast.

A combination of large ocean swells stirred up by Rachel and prolonged swells due in part to an El Niño-enhanced Kelvin wave has produced major flooding along Southern California’s coast.

One of the hardest-hit areas has been Newport Beach in Orange County, which has been experiencing flooding since Friday.

Main drags like Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach and numerous adjacent streets have been drenched in floodwaters.

The City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency on Saturday in response to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Rachel.

“This declaration will help the City secure additional resources as crews continue working to protect homes, property and public safety,” the city said in a statement on Saturday, adding that elevated surf and “unusually high ocean water levels” are expected to continue through the weekend, with the highest tides anticipated Sunday.

All of the city beaches and piers in Newport Beach are closed until further notice, the city said.

“Stay away from these areas. Flooding and hazardous conditions pose serious safety risks,” the city advised residents in its statement.

Tropical Storm Rachel became post-tropical late Saturday night about 80 miles south-southeast of San Diego. However, its remnants and the separate system over the West will continue to fuel a flash flood threat across portions of the Southwest, as well as bring rough surf and gusty winds, on Sunday and into Monday.

The flash flood threat is expected to continue to unfold on Sunday, with the greatest risk to parts of Southern California, northwest Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwest Utah, where a level 3 of 4 threat for flash flooding is in place.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Orange County beaches that starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday and continues through Tuesday afternoon, warning of potentially significant flooding and beach erosion fueled in part by Tropical Storm Rachel’s remnants.

The greatest concern is high tide through Sunday morning and swells from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel could create dangerous conditions with beach erosion and seawater once again flooding beach roads and paths.

Other cities along the Southern California coast — including Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and San Clemente — were distributing sandbags to the public on Sunday in preparation for possible flooding.

In Seal Beach, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, police reported that “due to elevated surf and coastal flooding concerns” beach parking lots were being closed on Sunday “as a precaution to protect life and property.”

On Saturday, the outer bands from Tropical Storm Rachel brought gusty winds and heavy rain to parts of Southern California and Arizona.

Wind gusts of over 60 mph were reported during thunderstorms that hit Menifee and Temecula, California. Heavy rain of up to 1 to 2 inches was reported with these storms as well, causing isolated instances of flash flooding and debris flow.

Gusty winds also produced a dust storm near Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday with near-zero visibility reported.

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A man was hospitalized after he was struck by a vehicle driven by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who was allegedly pursuing him and another man on Saturday, Texas law enforcement officials and ICE said.

Maj. Anthony McConnell of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigation Bureau told reporters that around 7:20 a.m. local time, law enforcement officers were called to Clay Road near Highway 6 just outside Houston after the unidentified ICE agent called 911 for an ambulance for the man, later identified by ICE as Miguel Parra-Hernandez, who was struck.

An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that the agency was attempting to arrest another man, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, a Mexican national who they allege had a criminal record and a final order of removal by a judge. 

The ICE agent allegedly observed Mendoza-Cervantes and Parra-Hernandez, who the agency alleged was undocumented, enter a car and attempted a car stop, according to ICE.

McConnell said the ICE agent allegedly was pursuing the man and another person in their car and during the chase, the driver and the passenger left their vehicle on foot.

Surveillance video of the incident reviewed by ABC News appears to show the agent maneuvering his vehicle in the direction of the man running and striking him with the vehicle.

ICE alleged in a statement that “Parra-Hernandez ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.”

Parra-Hernandez appeared to suffer a broken leg, McConnell said. He was taken to the hospital and is in ICE custody, according to ICE.

ICE didn’t immediately list any criminal history about Parra-Hernandez.

McConnell referred further inquiries about the incident to ICE.

“We’re here to investigate the crash,” he told reporters.

Deputies were collecting video evidence from nearby buildings as part of their investigation, McConnell said. No arrests have been made.

Mendoza-Cervantes was not found as of Sunday afternoon, ICE said.

Family members of Parra-Hernandez, community leaders and officials of the immigration FIEL Houston held a news conference in Houston on Sunday.

“We have been in contact with Miguel’s family, and they are very worried about his health. He is alive but is supposed to undergo surgery for his leg, which is broken in three places,” said Cesar Espinosa, executive director at FIEL Houston.

Espinosa demanded accountability from ICE and called for a transparent investigation of the incident.

“We have more questions than answers. The biggest question we have is why does this keep happening? We demand answers and transparency from all agencies involved,” Espinosa said.

Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones called on ICE to provide all evidence to the Harris County Sheriff’s office and to cooperate with the investigation, adding that she was “horrified” about the incident.

“We demand full transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law,” she said in her statement.

Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin said, “Time is of the essence in getting the facts, and the public deserves clear, accurate answers.”

“ICE must cooperate fully with the local investigation,” Kamin said. “My office supports Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and District Attorney Sean Teare in their ongoing independent investigation, and the Harris County Attorney’s Office stands ready to assist and support these critical efforts. We will continue to monitor developments closely as the facts become clear.”

The Texas incident comes two days after ICE agents shot a man inside his car with his 5-year-old son in the backseat in New York City during an attempted arrest.

Oscar Belgal, 28, is currently being held in custody and awaiting court appearances following the incident.

ICE alleged Belgal, a Dominican national, “weaponized his vehicle,” and rammed ICE vehicles. Surveillance footage released by the police showed the initial encounter where two armed men approached Belgal’s car and hit the driver side window.

Several New York City officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, condemned ICE’s actions and called on the federal government to remove them from the city.

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A second defendant named in Jane Doe’s lawsuit alleging forcible drugging and gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house is asking a judge to remove New York Attorney General Letitia James from the case.

Winston Lee joined fellow Chi Phi fraternity brother Gillio Lopes in seeking James’ removal as special prosecutor.

Lee argued the attorney general and Gov. Kathy Hochul “have together created a blatant appearance of impropriety” and James herself “has already publicly prejudged the guilt” of the subjects of her investigation.

“This public political stunt by the Governor and the AG to make repeated public statements, remove the case from the elected county prosecutor, and prejudge guilt in a criminal investigation for political advantage a month before election day is unethical and in violation of the law,” Lee’s attorney, Teny Geragos, said in a court filing Friday. “The AG is unquestionably biased, as her own public statements show.”

The woman at the center of the case, an undergraduate student identified only as Jane Doe, told Cornell campus police in November 2024, three weeks after the incident occurred, that she had been raped by eight to 10 men at the campus’ Chi Phi fraternity house. Each of the men has denied wrongdoing to investigators, in public statements, or through their lawyers.

Hochul last week appointed James to investigate the case.

In Friday’s court filing, Geragos cited a social media post by James in which the AG said, “What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”

“It is the height of unfairness that an uncharged person like Mr. Lee, presumed to be innocent, should be investigated by anyone — much less the AG — who has already publicly endorsed the purported victim and concluded the accused are guilty,” Geragos said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the New York attorney general’s office said, “In this and every investigation, the Office of the Attorney General is committed to conducting a comprehensive review of nothing but the facts, the evidence, and the law.”

James, asked Thursday evening about her comments on social media, said, “Those comments demonstrate empathy, and what we need now more than ever in our body politic is more empathy. The governor of the great state of New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, assigned me to analyze this case and to judge it and to do it without bias. She’s requesting an unbiased investigation and a thorough investigation, and we will do that based on the facts and based on the evidence.”

“Politics stops at the door in my office,” James said. “I can assure New Yorkers that we will engage in a thorough investigation, which will be based on the facts and the law, and guided by the evidence.”

Hochul, following James’ social media post, said, “I have every confidence in our attorney general to do what she has always done: look at the facts, examine the record, and draw the proper conclusions. That’s exactly what’s going to happen in this case.”

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Multiple passengers and crew members were injured when an Avianca flight headed to New York City experienced “unexpected turbulence” and diverted to Miami, the Colombian airline said.

Avianca Flight 42 landed safely at Miami International Airport around 3:25 a.m. Friday, “after the crew reported severe turbulence,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Six passengers and three crew members were “affected by the turbulence,” Avianca said in a statement. Ultimately, eight people were transported to the hospital, according to the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, including one person with a trauma injury.

The flight had departed from Medellin and was bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Avianca said it diverted the flight to Miami “as a precaution and in accordance with the airline’s safety protocols” and is now assisting passengers in continuing on to New York.

“Avianca remains in contact with the affected passengers and crew members as it
continues to respond to the situation,” the airline said. “The safety of our customers and employees is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations.”

The FAA said it is investigating.

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Evacuation orders have been issued for several counties in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama as Hurricane Isaias, now a powerful Category 3 storm, inches closer to landfall.

The storm could bring 9 feet of storm surge to parts of Florida, along with high winds, torrential rain and potential tornados. The storm is also forecasted to bring tornados and heavy rain throughout Alabama, according to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

Isaias could make landfall late Friday into early Saturday morning.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey have issued state of emergencies for dozens of counties that are in the storm’s path.

On Thursday, Ivey issued a mandatory evacuation order for all non-residents, tourists and visitors in Baldwin County. This includes Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and Dauphin Island in Mobile County.

“We often hear in emergency management: Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. That is the approach we need with this particular storm system,” Ivey said in a video statement.

DeSantis ordered evacuations for Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Franklin and Gulf counties. Florida residents can check the status of the evacuation order via an online map that is being updated by the state’s Division of Emergency Management.

“There will be impacts,” DeSantis said at a news conference Friday where he urged residents to heed the warnings.

“If you’re in the panhandle, assume that you are going to lose power. Prepare that you are going to lose power,” he added.

Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore echoed the governor’s concerns at a news conference and warned residents, “Your time for prep is coming to an end very fast.”

Travis Tompkins, emergency manager for Escambia County, said residents should take the evacuation orders seriously.

“We want to make sure that those barrier islands, the Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key, Energy Point, the low-lying areas — evacuate,” he added.

The governor said the state’s Highway Patrol had more than 300 troopers ready to assist with evacuations, emergency response and recovery operations.

 The Florida Department of Health is preparing more than 100 ambulances for possible evacuations and patient transportation, according to the governor.  

Wildlife and emergency response agencies have also staged boats, high-water vehicles, aircraft and other equipment for potential search-and-rescue operations, he said.

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