As Hurricane Hilary advances toward Mexico’s Pacific coast, meteorologists are sounding alarms about the potential for “life-threatening” flooding, even as the storm weakens. Previously a Category 3 hurricane, Hilary has been downgraded to a Category 2 with winds up to 100mph (175km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm is anticipated to reach land later in the day on Saturday.
The NHC has already reported substantial rainfall in segments of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and the southwestern United States. Although Hilary is projected to weaken to a tropical storm by the time it reaches southern California, it could still bring significant rainfall. The NHC warns that areas of southern California and southern Nevada could receive up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain, leading to the potential for “dangerous to catastrophic flooding.”
In anticipation of the storm’s impact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has strategically positioned personnel and resources in the region. US President Joe Biden has urged residents in the storm’s path to exercise necessary precautions and heed the guidance of local officials. Major League Baseball has adjusted game schedules in southern California, and SpaceX has postponed a rocket launch from its central California launch site. Additionally, Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve in California have been temporarily closed by the National Park Service to prevent visitors from being stranded due to flooding.
While hurricanes and tropical storms are relatively common occurrences in Mexico, the likelihood of a tropical storm making landfall in southern California is quite rare. The last instance of such an event was in 1939 in Long Beach.
Experts emphasize that the influence of human-caused climate change is contributing to unusual weather patterns worldwide, including in the United States. The confluence of record-breaking heat and the impacts of hurricanes underscores the heightened severity of climate-related challenges.
