California braced for the cyclone’s arrival. As the US hurricane center announced, “Hilary” was moving faster than initially predicted and should now arrive in the United States on Sunday afternoon (local time).
The storm is a threat to Southern California, National Disaster Management Director Deanne Criswell told CNN. “I would therefore like to encourage everyone to take this storm seriously.”
Reportedly, most Californians do. According to a Reuters report, citizens across California are filling sandbags, such as in Long Beach. A local resident told the news agency she was concerned: “Floods where people’s property is destroyed is one thing, but when people’s lives are in danger it’s another thing entirely. And I’m afraid this time people could die.”
“Hilary” has already weakened to a tropical storm on its way to California. But that doesn’t mean the all clear. According to the hurricane center, heavy rainfall is expected, especially in the south of the state, where cities like San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area are located. In some areas, “dangerous to catastrophic floods” are possible.
For most Californians, a tropical storm is also new territory in their state. The last such catastrophe was 84 years ago. It was September 1939 nearly 100 people died.
state of emergency in California
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for large parts of southern California on Saturday. The authorities asked some residents near the coast or in higher areas to leave their homes. Nature parks and various beaches have been closed and sporting events have been postponed.
California Director of Disaster Management Nancy Ward warned that Hilary could be one of the “most devastating storms” to hit the state in more than a decade. She pointed out that residents would have to be prepared for power outages.
Mexico also continues to gear up for the arrival of the storm. The center of the storm was about 200 kilometers south of the municipality of San Quintín on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Sunday morning, according to Mexico’s weather service. According to the information, “Hilary” recently reached sustained wind speeds of 130 kilometers per hour. The storm had already weakened from a category four hurricane to a category one on Saturday.
Two dead in Mexico
The weather service warned of “very heavy” rain on the peninsula and in the north-east of the country. In addition, gusts of wind with speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour and waves up to six meters high are to be expected.
According to media reports, “Hilary” already claimed two lives on Saturday. A man died in northwestern Mexico, the Mexican newspaper El Universal reported. Accordingly, his delivery truck was washed away in the municipality of Navolato in the state of Sinaloa. Another person died trying to cross a river in the town of Mulegé, Baja California, according to the Milenio newspaper.