MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Hillary strengthened to Category 4 strength along Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday and could become the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, causing “significant and unusual” flooding, including major flooding.
As of 6 a.m. Friday, the storm had sustained winds of nearly 145 mph (230 km/h) and its rapid strengthening is expected to continue through Friday before beginning to weaken, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. But it will become a hurricane as it approaches Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night, and will become a tropical storm near Southern California on Sunday.
According to the US National Weather Service, no tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since September 25, 1939.
As of early Friday morning, Hillary’s vortex was about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south of Los Cabos on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, moving west-northwest at 20 km/h. (13 mi), but is expected to gradually turn north on Saturday.
The government of Mexico extended a hurricane warning and tropical storm warning northward for parts of the state of Baja California Sur and activated a tropical storm warning for parts of the mainland.
“Heavy rain associated with Hillary is expected to continue into the southwestern United States through next Wednesday, peaking Sunday and Monday,” the NHC said, adding that the area between San Diego and Las Vegas is at risk of flash flooding.
“8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6 inches) of rainfall, with isolated amounts of 25 cm (10 inches) over parts of southern California and southern Nevada, will have significant and unusual impacts. Elsewhere in the western United States, 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) will occur. m) is expected to rain.
SpaceX has delayed launching a rocket that would put a satellite into orbit from a base on California’s Central Coast until at least Monday. Conditions in the Pacific would make it difficult to recover the rocket booster, he said.
According to the Los Angeles Weather Bureau, more rain is forecast for Southern California from Sunday into Tuesday.
The already weakened storm could make landfall Sunday night between the towns of Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada in Baja California state, the Mexican government indicated.
Meanwhile, the city of Yuma prepared to set up a self-service station for people to fill sandbags Thursday.
Sand and sacks are kept in stock at the station when supplies are available. Residents can take up to five sacks per vehicle.
