Hurricane Hilary bringing unprecedented storm warnings to Southwest
The Southwest United States and parts of Mexico are preparing for the unprecedented landfall of Hurricane Hilary this weekend, as the storm prepares to batter the West Coast in an almost unheard-of event.
The hurricane, which is currently listed as a Category 2 storm, is expected to make landfall on Saturday night near the Baja California coast. Hilary is expected to still be a hurricane at that time, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), but will likely continue to dissipate as it moves inland.
Hilary will bring "flash, urban and arroyo flooding" to the region, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, adding that residents should expect "dangerous and locally catastrophic impacts." Hurricane-like conditions are expected along most of the Baja California peninsula, and the NHC said that preparations for heavy rainfall and flooding "should be completed as soon as possible."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Southern California is expected to see up to 10 inches of rain in some areas — a storm of such magnitude has not been seen in the state in 84 years. Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Diego are all expected to receive at least four inches of rain throughout the weekend. However, meteorologists are not expecting the kind of outright devastation seen in Atlantic hurricanes, as Hilary is expected to lose its hurricane status by Saturday night and devolve into a tropical storm by Sunday.
Despite this, massive rainfall is expected into next week, and officials have placed Southern California under a tropical storm watch for the first time ever. Some areas in California and eastern Nevada could see a year's worth of rainfall in just a few days, the Los Angeles Times reported. One report from AccuWeather even said that Death Valley National Park, one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, could receive up to four inches of rain.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
5 cleverly clashing cartoons about the presidential debate
Cartoons Artists take on a deepfake debate, winners and losers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Pélicot case: a horror exposed
Talking Point This case is unusually horrifying, but the misogyny that enabled is chillingly common
By The Week UK Published
-
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: pure 'nostalgia bait'
Talking Point Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder return for sequel to the 1988 cult classic
By The Week UK Published
-
Recently discovered skeletons reveal new details about Pompeii
Under the Radar Earthquakes — not just a volcanic eruption — may have played a role in the city's destruction
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Italy is a hotbed of volcanic activity
The Explainer Concerns over an impending disaster are erupting
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Extreme weather events in the last year
In Depth These events are becoming more common thanks to climate change, and are "affecting every corner of the world"
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
DNA suggests Mayans sacrificed boy siblings
Speed Read These findings "flew in the face of the argument that it was mostly young virgin women" being sacrificed
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Blind people will listen to next week's total eclipse
Speed Read While they can't see the event, they can hear it with a device that translates the sky's brightness into music
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published