- More than 18,000 soldiers were on alert in Mexico ahead of the arrival of Pacific hurricane Hilary.
- The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the Baja California peninsula early Sunday morning, the Mexican weather service said.
- The US Hurricane Center in Miami has warned that southern California must also be prepared for “life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding”.
- A tropical storm warning has been issued for California for the first time in history.
Legend:
The EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Hilary (right) off the Pacific coast of Mexico.
key stone
“Hilary” could trigger more rain there than usual in a whole year. According to the US authorities, “Hilary” reached category four out of five on Friday off the northwest coast of Mexico. On Friday evening, the hurricane was about 495 kilometers southwest of the tourist coastal city of Cabo San Lucas with sustained wind speeds of up to 215 kilometers per hour. Remnants of the storm are already spreading across the southern portion of Baja California.
First tropical storm warning in California history
US President Joe Biden warned people in the US state of California of significant rainfall. “I urge all people living in the storm’s area to take precautionary measures and listen to the advice of state and local authorities,” Biden said at a news conference at Camp David.
Legend:
Sandbags in front of a home in Seal Beach, California, taken on August 18, 2023.
Keystone/AP Photo/Damian Dovargane
The hurricane was expected to weaken somewhat before making landfall in Mexico and being downgraded to a tropical storm near California on Sunday evening (local time). But even that is still unusual for the US region. A tropical storm warning has been issued for California for the first time in history.
Emergency shelters have been set up in Mexico. The military is making preparations for a possible deployment to help affected people in the states along the Pacific coast, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Friday. Hurricanes and tropical storms regularly hit Mexico at this time of year.
First tropical storm since 1939
Hilary would be the first tropical storm to make landfall in California since 1939. At that time, dozens of people died because the residents of the region were not sufficiently prepared.
Stay away from the water.
The US Coast Guard predicted dangerous currents and strong winds for the coming days on Friday. “Stay away from the water,” they said.
Hurricane season begins May 15 in the Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic. It will be declared over in both regions on November 30th. Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean water. Global warming increases the likelihood of severe storms. Wind speeds of 119 kilometers per hour or more are called a hurricane.