Topline
Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in the Mexican state of Baja California on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said, as Mexico and the southwestern U.S. prepare for “catastrophic flooding” and heavy winds later today—marking Southern California’s first tropical storm since 1939.
People stand on a pier as others body board in the Pacific Ocean with Hurricane Hilary approaching … [+]
Key Facts
Hilary made landfall at around 11 a.m. local time in northern Baja California, roughly 200 miles south-southeast of the San Diego-Tijuana border, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 65 mph.
The storm is moving north-northwest at about 25 mph toward the Mexican city of Tijuana and San Diego, and is later expected to move toward San Bernardino, east of Los Angeles.
Hilary was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday morning and is expected to stay in that classification as it approaches Southern California.
National Guard teams are standing by in California, and the state has deployed swift water rescue teams in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
Meanwhile, the Mexican city of Santa Rosalía—where one death was reported due to flooding—has experienced “very severe” damage, with mayor Edith Aguilar Villavicencio describing downed poles and branches Sunday, according to the New York Times.
The National Weather Service said it expects heavy rainfall that could bring as many as 10 inches of rain to some parts of Southern California and last into Monday, leading to potentially “locally catastrophic flooding impacts” as some locations “are slated to get 1-2 years worth of rain in one day.”
On Saturday, Nancy Ward, the director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, warned the storm “could be one of the most devastating storms that we’ve had hit California in more than a decade.”
Gusts of wind are felt in the port area of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California State, Mexico, before the … [+]
Key Background
Hurricane Hilary strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane Friday as it moved off the coast of Baja California but was downgraded three times on Saturday. Evacuation warnings have been issued for the eastern Orange County mountains and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a local emergency declaration ahead of the storm. By the time the weather reaches Southern California, the National Weather Service has warned of “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” through Monday. A hurricane warning is in effect for Baja California from Punta Abreojos to Cabo San Quintin, a hurricane watch for the Baja California peninsula north of Cabo San Quintin and a tropical storm warning for the rest of the peninsula, the California/Mexico border and Catalina Island.
Surprising Fact
California has not seen a tropical storm make landfall since record keeping began in 1949, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Ferrell. A tropical cyclone killed nearly 100 people in September 1939, the New York Times reported, but the only tropical storm with hurricane-force winds is believed to have last hit Southern California when a hurricane struck San Diego in October of 1858.
Big Number
12 feet. That’s the highest waves reached in Baja California Sunday.
Further Reading
Here’s Just How Rare West Coast Hurricanes—Like Hilary—Really Are (Forbes)
Hurricane Hilary Causes California’s 1st Ever Tropical Storm Watch—What About 1939? (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/08/20/tropical-storm-hilary-makes-landfall-in-mexico-as-southern-california-braces-for-catastrophic-flooding/