Authorities warned of the possibility of “catastrophic” flooding in Mexico and California, in the southwestern United States, following the passage of Hurricane Hilary this Sunday, which has already caused one death in Mexico.
On the east coast of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, a person drowned on Saturday when a vehicle was swept away by water that flooded the streets of the city of Santa Rosalia.
Dozens of people took refuge in storm shelters in Los Cabos, on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, and firefighters rescued a family in San Jose del Cabo after a tourist resort was hit by torrential rain and winds.
Hilary, originally classified as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest, has since been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.
“It doesn’t reduce the threat, especially the threat of flooding,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters warned that Hilary could dump up to 10 inches (250 millimeters) of rain in Southern California and neighboring Nevada, equivalent to a year’s worth of rain in some areas.
The storm, with wind gusts of up to 155 kilometers per hour, can also send waves up to 12 meters high along the Pacific coast.
This is expected to be the first hurricane to hit Southern California in 84 years, with authorities warning of the possibility of flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, strong winds and power outages.
The United States Navy sent about 10 warships to ensure the safety of ships that had to remain in San Diego harbor. It is the first time that the US Navy has conducted such an operation in San Diego.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency and authorities urged people to prepare for Hilary’s arrival by sunset on Saturday, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. this Sunday in Lisbon).
Authorities have issued an evacuation alert for Santa Catalina Island, 23 miles off the coast of Southern California, a popular tourist destination.
In the northern Mexican city of Tijuana, fire chief Rafael Carrillo called on residents on steep slopes to leave their homes “if they hear noises or [virem] cracks in the ground” because they can collapse.
The city of 1.9 million, which borders the United States, ordered the closure of all beaches on Saturday and set up multiple storm shelters at sports complexes and government buildings.
The Mexican Navy has evacuated 850 people from islands off the coast of Baja California and deployed nearly 3,000 troops for emergency operations.
Source: DN
