Hurricane Hilary made landfall on Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Saturday night as a downgraded but still dangerous Category 1 hurricane, capable of causing 'catastrophic' flooding to the area and across the southwestern state as a tropical storm.
The National Weather Center in Miami said in its latest advisory at 9 p.m. ET. reported maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 mph and that the storm was approximately 281 km south of Punta Eugenia, Mexico, and 855 km from San Diego, California.
Meteorologists warned that despite weakening, the storm remained dangerous.
A person drowned in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia on the east coast of the peninsula on Saturday when a vehicle was swept away by floodwaters. Edith Aguilar Villavicencio, the mayor of Mulege town, said rescuers had saved four other people. It was not immediately clear if officials considered the death to be storm-related, but a video released by local officials showed streams of water pouring into the city's streets.
Weather forecasters say the storm has yet to enter history as the first tropical storm to make landfall in Southern California in 84 years, bringing with it flash floods, landslides, isolated tornadoes, and winds. large and power outage. The forecast prompted authorities to issue an evacuation notice for Santa Catalina Island, urging residents and beachgoers to leave the tourist site 37 kilometers from the coast.
Elizabeth Adams, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in San Diego, said rain could fall up to 3 inches per hour over the mountains and deserts of Southern California from Sunday morning through afternoon. Heavy rains during these hours can cause widespread and life-threatening flash flooding. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency and officials urged residents to complete preparations before sunset on Saturday. It will be too late on Sunday, one expert said.
Hurricanes are the latest major weather disasters to ravage the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The island of Maui, Hawaii is still reeling from a blaze that last week killed more than 100 people and tore through the historic town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. In Canada, firefighters on Saturday continued to battle fires in the worst wildfire season on record in the country.
Hilary brought heavy rain and flooding to Mexico and the southwestern United States on Saturday before the storm is expected to cross the border on Sunday. Weather forecasters warn of up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain - the equivalent of a year's rainfall for some areas - in southern California and southern Nevada.
"It doesn't lessen the threat, especially the flood threat," Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the US National Hurricane Center, said at a news conference Saturday to announce the downgrade. storm level. "Don't let the fading trend and intensity catch you off guard."
Meteorologists also predicted the storm would produce "potentially deadly" eddies and waves, including waves up to 12 meters high, along Mexico's Pacific coast. Dozens of people sought shelter in storm shelters at the resorts of Los Cabos at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, and firefighters rescued a family in San Jose del Cabo after this resort was hit by rain and wind.
In Tijuana, Fire Department Director Rafael Carrillo expressed fear deep in the minds of people in this border city of 1.9 million people, especially residents who live in homes on steep hills.
“If you hear noises or the ground cracks, it's important to get it checked and out as soon as possible because the ground can weaken and your house could collapse,” says Carrillo.
