Hilary Pounds Mexico’s Baja Coast; Southern California Braces For Impact

Hilary weakened from a Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm, moving northward Sunday along the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Conditions across Southern California are deteriorating as forecasters warned “catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding is likely. 

The National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center downgraded Hilary earlier today while indicating the storm made landfall around noon over the northern Baja California peninsula. 

#Hilary makes landfall in northern Baja California. Tropical storm conditions and heavy rains already affecting portions of the southwestern United States. pic.twitter.com/OS9EYPUM0y

— NHC Eastern Pacific (@NHC_Pacific) August 20, 2023

Footage from X, formerly known as Twitter, shows major flooding across Santa Rosalía in Mexico’s Baja California Sur. 

WATCH: Devastating flooding in Baja California brought on by Hurricane #Hilary pic.twitter.com/ONDnSKYiKo

— PoliticsVerse 🇺🇸 (@PoliticsVerse_) August 20, 2023

Here’s Hilary’s latest track:

With forecasters calling for “life-threatening” flooding across Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday. Then the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said Hilary “remains on track to impact much of Southern California with heavy rainfall and possibly strong winds this weekend and into early next week.” 

Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Southern California, and southwestern Nevada are expected to receive heavy rainfall through Monday. 

“Expect periods of heavy rain; areas of flooding especially in the mtns and deserts; and strong winds especially in San Diego Co, east Inland Empire, mtns, and deserts,” NWS San Diego posted on X. 

Hilary has weakened to a Tropical Strom and is expected to make it into SoCal this afternoon. Expect periods of heavy rain; areas of flooding especially in the mtns and deserts; and strong winds especially in San Diego Co, east Inland Empire, mtns, and deserts. Be safe!#CAwx pic.twitter.com/TNXEfzFgV4

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) August 20, 2023

Which means an elevated risk of destructive flash flooding. 

In San Diego, the US Navy is taking no risks and ordered warships and submarines to leave naval bases before the storms arrive. 

US 3rd Fleet has ordered all Navy ships in San Diego to get underway as Hurricane Hilary approaches. The ships will remain at sea until the storm subsides. Those still in port prepare for heavy wind & rain. Standard East Coast procedure, unusual in SoCal https://t.co/6OoUOT60th pic.twitter.com/sjxUV3B8JE

— Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) August 19, 2023

NBC News said the tropical storm taking aim at Southern California would be the first time in eight years.