Yes, the viral images of stadium in California following Tropical Storm Hilary are real

California faced its first tropical storm in 84 years earlier this week. Tropical Storm Hilary flooded roads and toppled trees, leaving state authorities to assess the damage. 

A viral video posted by Los Angeles Dodgers Aerial Photography, a group that features helicopter flyovers of Dodger Stadium on social media, had people wondering whether images that showed flooded parking lots around the stadium were real.  

THE QUESTION

Are the viral images of Dodger Stadium following Tropical Storm Hilary real?

THE SOURCES

• Los Angeles Dodgers account on X
• Joe Jareck, Dodgers Senior Director of Public Relations
• Esteban Jimenez, Los Angeles Dodgers Aerial Photography
• Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley
• Mark Holtzman, West Coast Aerial Photography President

THE ANSWER

Yes,  the viral images of Dodger Stadium following Tropical Storm Hilary are real.

WHAT WE FOUND

The aerial footage of Dodger Stadium after Tropical Storm Hilary is real, however, Dodger Stadium has not flooded. Esteban Jimenez from Los Angeles Dodgers Aerial Photography says he took the video as they were working to capture the real-time effects of the storm in downtown L.A. 

As posts sharing the images began to go viral, the Los Angeles Dodgers official X account wrote, “Dodger Stadium trending? We get it. It looks beautiful this morning.” They included images showing the inside and outside of Dodger Stadium without flood damage.

VERIFY reached out to Joe Jareck, Dodgers Senior Director of Public Relations, who confirmed that there was no flooding at Dodger Stadium and that these photos posted to their social media page were legitimate. 

It's also unlikely for the stadium to flood due to its location. Mark Holtzman, who has flown over the stadium many times as president of West Coast Aerial Photography, told the Associated Press that the parking lot is not level, so water couldn’t pool up. He added that the viral images simply looked like a wet parking lot.

So what caused the area around the ballpark to appear underwater? It’s most likely an illusion due to the angle of the stadium seen from the air. The Los Angeles Times also shared an image from 2005 that shows a similar illusion of flooding outside of Dodger Stadium after a storm. Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley, noted to the Associated Press that from a distant aerial view, it’s hard to tell the difference between a wet surface and one that is under several inches of water.    

The Associated Press contributed to this report.