Hurricane Hilary threatens Mexico, California with 'catastrophic floods'
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[August 19, 2023]
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Category 4 Hurricane Hilary
hurtled towards Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Friday, a U.S.
government agency said, as it issued its first ever tropical storm watch
for California and warned of life-threatening and possibly catastrophic
floods.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects the powerful storm to near
Mexico's popular Cabo San Lucas resort city by late on Friday, though it
should weaken before hitting the U.S. West Coast this weekend,
nevertheless bringing dangerous rains.
"Life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding are likely over
much of Baja California and Southern California this weekend and early
next week," the Miami-based agency said in its latest advisory.
Mexico's Baja California peninsula spans two states.
The northernmost one canceled non-essential public activities on Friday,
including school classes through Monday, and authorities in Mexico's
second-largest city, Tijuana, urged people in high-risk zones to move to
temporary shelters.
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In the peninsula's southern state, authorities postponed a local
baseball match and said ports would be closed through late Friday.
"Without being alarmist, we must all take precautions and stock up on
water and basic necessities at home, without resorting to panic buying,"
the state's governor said.
NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome warned of flood risks from San Diego to
Los Angeles and Las Vegas, with particularly high risks around the Palm
Springs area.
"If you've got weekend plans, it's probably time to start altering those
plans," he said. Major League Baseball moved up a trio of Sunday games
in Southern California to Saturday.
MOVING FAST
Though cold waters off California's coastline usually weaken incoming
storms, Rhome said "this system is expected to hold onto to its strength
because it will be moving fast."
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![](../images/081923PIX/news_g9.jpg)
Workers prepare to cover a slide ridden
hillside with plastic tarp in the hopes to protect it from the rain
expected with upcoming storm Hilary in San Clemente, California,
U.S., August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Aug/19/images/ads/current/bennet_lda_010722.png)
Hilary was moving west-northwest at nearly 12 miles per hour (19 kph),
packing maximum sustained winds of nearly 130 mph (215 kph), after
being upgraded to a Category 4 overnight, it said.
Rhome said California and southern Nevada faced risks from severe
flooding caused by up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) of rainfall, while the
agency warned a storm surge could cause coastal flooding and
destructive waves along Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), this is the first
time in its records that a high risk warning has been issued for
California's south-easterly desert regions.
Heavy rains are expected to hit California, Nevada and neighboring
Arizona following a record-breaking summer heat wave.
Phoenix, Arizona, endured a month-long stretch of temperatures
exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit, (43°C) throughout July, according
to NWS, trapped under "heat dome" of stagnant air.
In California's Death Valley desert, temperatures hit 128 Fahrenheit
(53 C) in mid-July, among the highest temperatures recorded on Earth
in the past 90 years, while tens of millions of Americans were put
under heat alerts.
(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire, Sarah Morland, Brendan O'Boyle and
Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City, Rich Mckay in Atlanta, Timothy Ahmann
in Washington, and Frank McGurty and Amy Tennery in New York;
Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Aurora Ellis and Sandra Maler)
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