PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – Hurricane Hilary is causing alarm in Mexico and the United States as it threatens to unleash “catastrophic” rains, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm, currently a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 205 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 250 kilometers per hour, is located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. The weather forecast predicts that the storm will head north of the Baja California peninsula and make landfall on Sunday as a tropical storm.
Hilary is currently positioned 375 kilometers west of Cabo San Lucas and 630 kilometers south of Punta Eugenia, Baja California Sur. Although the storm will continue moving parallel to the peninsula, its powerful winds are expected to generate waves between 8 and 10 meters high, according to the Mexican Meteorological Service. The Mexican Navy has closed at least 15 ports in the region to prevent navigation disruptions, and the government has dispatched approximately 18,000 soldiers to assist with potential damage caused by the heavy rains.
Forecasters anticipate that Hilary will weaken as it approaches land on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. The storm is expected to arrive as a tropical storm in Baja California near the port of Ensenada on Sunday at noon and continue its path towards Rosarito and Tijuana. Hilary will then proceed northward on land, crossing the border between Mexico and the United States. The storm is predicted to bring heavy rain to southern California, where the first tropical storm watch in history has been issued for the region.
The Baja California peninsula is actively preparing for the storm, with residents setting up shelters and stocking up on water and food. The National Civil Protection Coordination of Mexico has established shelters in various parts of both Baja California and Baja California Sur. “Evacuations have begun in areas susceptible to flooding, and road sections with fords have been closed,” the agency stated.
The Pacific hurricane season starts each May and concludes at the end of November. This year’s season began with Cyclone Adrián and Tropical Storm Bret, the former approaching Mexico via the Pacific and the latter via the Atlantic. Subsequent storms included Hurricane Beatriz, which threatened the west Mexican coast with winds of 120 kilometers per hour and dissipated off the coast of Jalisco.
In California, a state accustomed to earthquakes and wildfires, authorities are on alert due to the tropical storm watch, which extends from border communities to towns in southern Nevada. While northern Mexico is expected to bear the brunt of Hilary, southern cities in the US have asked residents to monitor the storm’s progress, which will bring showers and wind gusts.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has ordered an emergency declaration to be ready for swift implementation if needed. Authorities have advised Angelenos to avoid the coast and beaches during the storm, expected to reach US territory as a tropical depression on Sunday night.
Firefighters have assembled a 50-person rescue team for potential flash floods and are distributing sandbags to residents for building dikes against rising water. San Diego, bordering Mexico, has established several shelters for residents. Mayor Todd Gloria stated that the City Council is encouraging homeless individuals to seek refuge at the prepared sites.
Forecasters predict the tropical storm may bring record rainfall to several California communities, including Death Valley, North America’s driest point and one of the world’s hottest. “Everyone needs to be prepared for very significant flooding. There is no time to waste preparing. The forecast is not going to improve,” warned the Weather Service, which also issued alerts for populations in the Morongo Valley, between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Cities like Palm Springs are expected to receive their annual average rainfall in just three days.
The storm has prompted caution in California, with some coastal train services between Los Angeles and San Diego temporarily suspended. Telephone and internet companies have notified users of potential service interruptions. The MLB and MLS have rescheduled Sunday’s baseball and soccer games.
The threat of heavy rain has stirred memories of the deadly San Francisco Cordonazo tropical storm in September 1939, which claimed 48 lives after torrential rain struck Long Beach and San Pedro.
PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) - Hurricane Hilary is causing alarm in Mexico and the United States as it threatens to unleash "catastrophic" rains, according to the . . .
