Tropical Storm Hilary is now unleashing vicious winds and heavy rain across California, with forecasters saying things will only get worse.
By 11 a.m., Hilary made landfall as a tropical storm over the northern part of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. As it moves toward Southern California as a tropical storm flooding rain remains the highest threat, according to the National Weather Service.
By 2 p.m. California time, Hilary was 115 miles (180 kilometers) south-southeast of San Diego, the National Hurricane Center reported. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving northwest at nearly 25 mph (41 kph).
Hilary’s center has yet to reach Southern California and is just a few hours away, but the state has been feeling the storm’s effects since early Sunday and the rainfall totals are starting to add up.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles (370 km) from the center. A sustained wind of 47 mph (75 km/h) with a gust of 70 mph (113 km/h) was reported at Sill Hill, California. A sustained wind of 47 mph (75 km/h) with a gust of 72 mph (116 km/h) was reported at Hauser Mountain, California.
Its center is expected to move into San Diego County between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, with some regions expected to get a year’s worth of rain in a single day.
In the meantime, an earthquake was felt in Long Beach, about 110 miles away, as a gentle shake that lasted around 10 seconds. The movement could have been mistaken for a large passing truck, reports the New York Times.
Flooding is already eminent
At least 9 million people were under flash-flood warnings as heavy rain fell across normally sunny Southern California ahead of the brunt of the storm. Desert areas were especially susceptible along with hillsides with wildfire burn scars, forecasters warned.
Streets in Palm Desert, Calif., in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, began to flood after just an hour of steady rain.
Officials in Imperial County, in the southeast corner of California, have issued voluntary evacuation warnings for the rural communities of Ocotillo, Salton City, Salton City Beach, Bombay Beach, and Desert Shores because of the potential for strong winds, heavy rains, and flash floods.
Hilary is expected to produce storm total rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with maximum amounts up to 10 inches, across portions of the northern Baja California Peninsula through tonight.
Intense heavy rainfall associated with Hilary is expected across the Southwestern United States through early Monday morning. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of southern California and southern Nevada leading to dangerous to catastrophic flooding.
Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said that while Hilary had weakened from a Category 4 hurricane, it’s the water, not the wind, that people should watch out for most — some areas could get as much rain in hours as they typically get in a year.
