Category 1 Hurricane Hilary barrels toward California, still threatening floods
livemint.comCategory 1 storm Hilary is expected to make a landfall into Southern California on Sunday as a rare tropical storm, unleashing floods, fierce winds and heavy downpours as residents evacuate, parks and beaches close and first responders brace for water rescues. According to the National Hurricane Center Hilary is developed now a Category 1 storm with maximum winds of 80 miles per hour as it barrels north-northwest at a speed of around 21 mph,. It was about 285 miles south-southeast of San Diego as of 5 a.m.
local time Sunday. The hurricane Hilary likely to weaken to a tropical storm before it reaches the US – but it’ll still likely pack a powerful punch in the Southwest, with “catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding expected, according to the hurricane center. The Hilary storm is is likely to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain – or even 10 inches in some areas – and whip up damaging winds that can knock power out for many.
The worst of it is expected Sunday into Monday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday for a large swath of Southern California to support hurricane response and recovery efforts, according to the governor’s office.
\“We’re mobilizing all of government as we prepare and respond to this unprecedented storm," Newsom said. From Punta Abreojos to Cabo San Quintin, ahurricane warning is in effect in Mexico – a roughly 300-mile stretch along the Baja California Peninsula’s western shore. "Flash and urban flooding, locally catastrophic, is expected, especially in the northern portions of the peninsula," the hurricane center said Saturday night, with rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches possible.
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