Saturday, August 19, 2023

In California and Mexico, a Rare Hurricane Sends Disaster Prep into High Gear

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Hurricane Hilary, now a Category 4 storm, has prompted flood warnings in Southern California and temporary shelters in Baja California, Mexico.

As Hurricane Hilary heads north, Southern California and Mexico are bracing for a rare and powerful storm that could produce dangerous flash flooding and sustained winds that have not been seen for decades.

Residents are racing to fill sandbags and fuel up generators before extreme weather arrives, and emergency officials are warning that roads may be inundated and setting up evacuation centers.

The Category 4 hurricane is so unusual that it has prompted the National Hurricane Center to issue a tropical storm watch for California for the first time in its history. Hilary is currently projected to make landfall in Baja California on Sunday and move northward as a tropical storm near San Diego and across the deserts and mountains east of Los Angeles — though its path could still veer elsewhere. » | Corina Knoll and Aline Corpus, Corina Knoll reported from Los Angeles, and Aline Corpus from Tijuana, Mexico. | Friday, August 18, 2023