Hurricane Hillary rapidly intensified to a Category 4 intensity off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Friday and could reach Southern California as the first tropical storm in 84 years, causing “significant and rare impacts,” including widespread flooding.
The National Hurricane Center said Hillary had sustained winds near 145 mph (230 km/h) at 6 a.m. and was expected to continue to increase rapidly throughout Friday before starting to weaken. Still, it will remain a hurricane as it approaches Mexico’s Baja California peninsula Saturday night and will approach Southern California as a tropical storm on Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, no tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since September 25, 1939.
Clinton was centered about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south of Los Cabos, on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, early Friday. It was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), but was expected to gradually turn north by Saturday.
The Mexican government extended the hurricane watch and tropical storm warning northward for parts of Baja California Sur and issued a tropical storm watch for parts of mainland Mexico.
The Hurricane Center said: “Heavy rainfall brought by Hillary is expected to affect the southwestern United States until next Wednesday, Sunday and Monday will peak.” The report said that there is a huge flash flood danger in the area from San Diego to Las Vegas.
“Parts of Southern California and southern Nevada are forecast to see 3 to 6 inches of rain, with individual 10 inches of rain, leading to severe and rare impacts. Parts of the western United States are expected to see 1 to 3 inches of rain.”
SpaceX delayed the launch of a rocket carrying satellites from its base on California’s central coast until at least Monday. Conditions in the Pacific Ocean could make it difficult for ships to recover the rocket boosters, the company said.
The Mexican government said a weakened Clinton could reach the coast between the cities of Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada in Baja California on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the city of Yuma is preparing to offer residents a self-service sandbagging gas station on Thursday.
Sandbag stations will be stocked with sand and empty bags for self-filling while supplies last. Residents can carry five sandbags per vehicle.
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