Hurricane Hilary is set to cause serious flooding in Southern California’s first tropical storm in EIGHTY-FOUR years, as LA evacuates homeless and Navy scrambles WAR SHIPS to help
Hurricane Hilary will cause severe flooding and will be the first tropical storm to hit California since 1939.
The storm quickly grew to Category 4 on Friday and is expected to plow across the Mexican peninsula Saturday night.
It will then move up into Tijuana on Sunday before reaching southern California later the same day after weakening slightly to become a tropical storm.
But it still poses extreme danger to those in its path, with the US National Hurricane Center warning of “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.”
The US Navy has announced it will send many of its warships to San Diego Bay to help manage and secure boats in the harbor when the hurricane hits the region.
Los Angeles officials are setting up shelters and working to move homeless people living in the city’s famously dry riverbed away from flooding with water.
Hurricane Hilary will cause severe flooding and will be the first tropical storm to hit California since 1939
The storm quickly grew to Category 4 on Friday and is expected to plow across the Mexican peninsula Saturday night. It can be seen starting to pound Cabo San Lucas in Mexico on Saturday morning
Wind gusts from Hurricane Hilary were felt in the port area of Cabo San Lucas on Saturday
The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for large parts of Southern California, including the Pacific coast, inland mountains and deserts.
There have been discussions about evacuation plans for people on Catalina Island, which is just off the Golden State near LA.
Janice Hahn, president of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, told the local television station KTLA: “I don’t think any of us — I know myself in particular — never thought I’d be standing here talking about a hurricane or a tropical storm.”
Hurricane Hilary slowed down later on Friday after gaining strength but still remains at Category 4 strength with winds of up to 210 miles per hour.
It was centered about 150 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula on Saturday morning and was moving northward at 13 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to accelerate as it moves north. It is feared that the heavy rainfall could cause dangerous flooding in the border city of Tijuana.
About 1.9 million people in the region live on steep slopes and it is feared that heavy rainfall could trigger landslides.
Montserrat mayor Caballero Ramirez said the city was setting up four shelters in high-risk zones and warning those who live near the storm’s path.
“We are a vulnerable city because we are on one of the most visited borders in the world and because of our landscape,” she said.
The National Park Service has closed Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve over fears that flooding could leave people stranded.
While cities in the area, including in Arizona, have provided sandbags to prepare properties for damaging floodwaters.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputies urged homeless people living in dry riverbeds to seek shelter from the storm.
The storm will then move up into Tijuana on Sunday before reaching Southern California. The US National Hurricane Center warned of ‘catastrophic and life-threatening flooding’
Hurricane Hilary slowed later on Friday after gaining strength but still remains at Category 4 strength with winds of up to 210 miles per hour
Food, cots and shelter have also been arranged for those in need.
President Joe Biden has said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had gathered personnel and supplies in the high-risk areas.
“I urge everyone, everyone in the path of this storm, to take precautions and heed guidance from state and local officials,” he told reporters on Friday.
Authorities in Southern California have reinforced sand berms, which were created to protect low-lying coastal communities from the water.
Tanner Atkinson, of Newport Beach, stood in line for free sandbags at a distribution point in town.
He said, ‘I mean, a lot of people here are excited because the waves are going to get pretty heavy.
“But I mean, it’s going to rain a little, so usually there’s some flooding and landslides and things like that.”
It was centered about 240 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula on Saturday morning and was moving north at 21 miles per hour
Sandbags have been provided to residents to help protect against potential flooding
Police patrolled closed beaches in the state of Baja California Sur on Friday to keep swimmers out
Elsewhere, Major League Baseball has rescheduled three of Sunday’s games in California ahead of dangerous weather conditions predicted for Hurricane Hilary.
Schools in Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas were readied for use as temporary shelters, while police patrolled closed beaches in the state of Baja California Sur to keep swimmers out.
Hurricane officials said the storm could bring up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain in some areas of Southern California and Southern Nevada.
Kristen Corbosiero, a University of Albany atmospheric scientist who specializes in Pacific hurricanes, said “5 to 7 inches of rainfall in Southern California is unheard of” at this time of year.
“That’s that’s a whole summer and fall amount of rain falling in probably 6 to 12 hours.”