Storm Hilary has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, but it hit the Mexican region of Baja California with a vengeance. Now he’s moving towards California.
Tropical storm Hilary has reached the state of Baja California in northwestern Mexico and caused flooding there. It hit the Pacific coast in a sparsely populated area about 250 kilometers south of the city of Ensenada, the AP news agency reported. The city is now, like Tijuana, in the direct catchment area of the storm that is moving north. Authorities closed all beaches in the region and opened half a dozen shelters at sports facilities and government offices.
Although Hilary was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm in the past few hours, the storm is reaching wind speeds of nearly 100 kilometers per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
landslides and floods
According to media reports, “Hilary” already claimed two lives on Saturday. A man died in northwestern Mexico, the Mexican newspaper El Universal reported. Accordingly, a delivery truck was washed away in the municipality of Navolato in the state of Sinaloa. The driver was found dead a few kilometers from the scene of the accident.
Another person died trying to cross a river in the town of Mulegé, Baja California, according to the Milenio newspaper. Mexico’s civil protection agency said river and stream levels in Loreto and Mulegé on the east coast of Baja California had risen significantly. As a result, landslides occurred there and roads were closed.
The Mexican government has deployed nearly 19,000 troops in the states hardest hit by the storm. As a precaution, the state power company dispatched 800 employees and hundreds of vehicles to be prepared for possible power outages. Authorities went on high alert. Ports have been closed, flights have been cancelled, shelters have been prepared.
Authorities warn against travel
According to the NHC, “Hilary” is currently 346 kilometers south of Diego. The agency expects heavy rain and flooding in California and Nevada for the next two days. Tornoadoes are even possible in some regions, such as the Mojave Desert and the valley between Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.
California Governor Gavin Newsom had already declared a state of emergency for large parts of the state on Saturday. On Sunday, the authorities for the island of Santa Catalina issued an evacuation warning. Residents and beachgoers have been asked to leave the tourist destination for the mainland.
The warning also applies to several communities in San Bernardino County. Los Angeles authorities scrambled to move the homeless off the streets into shelters. Officials ordered all state beaches in San Diego and Orange County to be closed. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to stay home until the storm passes. “Avoid unnecessary travel. If you don’t have to travel, please don’t get in your car,” she said at a news conference.