Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm threatening to unleash torrential rains on the mudslide-prone border city of Tijuana before heading into Southern California as the first tropical storm there in 84 years.
Forecasters warned the storm could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornadoes across the region.
Hurricane Hilary grew rapidly in strength early Friday before losing some steam, with its maximum sustained winds at 130 mph (215 kph) Frday night, down from 145 mph (230 kph). Nevertheless, it is forecast to still a hurricane when it approaches Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula on Sunday and a tropical storm when it approaches Southern California later in the day.
Major League Baseball rescheduled three Sunday games in Southern California, moving them to Saturday as part of split-doubleheaders. The National Park Service closed Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve to keep people from becoming stranded amid flooding. Cities across the region, including in Arizona, were offering sandbags to safeguard properties against floodwaters.
No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. The watch posted for a wide swath of Southern California from the coast to interior mountains and deserts. The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of potential threats to life and property.
As it moves north, it could bring heavy rains to Tijuana. Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramirez said the city was tracking the storm closely and clearing out storm drains.
