Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall on Sunday August 20 in northwestern Mexico and threatens the southwestern United States, after killing at least one person in its path.
Even downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, Hilary remains dangerous. At 11 a.m., powerful winds in the region of 100 kilometers per hour were sweeping the Baja California Peninsula 340 kilometers south of the US city of San Diego, according to the US National Hurricane Center. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency across much of the southern region of the state.
On the border with the Mexican city of Tijuana, San Diego, in the southwestern United States, is preparing for potentially dangerous flooding. At this major US military port on the Pacific, the US Navy said ships and submarines would set sail before the storm lands. “Security remains our top priority, and putting every ship possible at sea makes it easier for us to manage the situation ashore,” U.S. Third Fleet Commander Michael Boyle said in a press release.
Tornadoes could also form Sunday afternoon in parts of Colorado or the Mojave Desert. The US Federal Emergency Response Agency has deployed its teams to the areas that Hilary must pass through.
According to Nancy Ward, director of the California governor’s office of emergency services, Hilary could be one of the worst storms to hit the state in more than a decade. “It’s a very, very dangerous and major storm,” she said at a press conference on Saturday.
US President Joe Biden, vacationing with his family on Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border, was briefed on preparations for the storm on Saturday, the White House said. Joe Biden and Jill Biden plan to travel to Hawaii on Monday to view wildfire damage and learn about ongoing excavation operations.
“We remain concerned”
In Mexico, Hilary and its torrential rains killed one person and damaged infrastructure south of the Baja California peninsula. The victim was swept away with his vehicle by a sudden rise in water, had the Mexican civil protection agency, warning of possible landslides and blocked roads in Baja California.
Residents and staff of the Mexican tourist resort of Los Cabos began protecting homes and businesses on Saturday with signs and thousands of sandbags as huge waves pounded the shore.
The streets of the town of Todos Santos, on the west coast of the peninsula, were largely deserted on Saturday while nearby Cerritos beach was closed due to rough ocean conditions. “Last night we felt the wind pick up, but it wasn’t as strong as we expected. However, we remain concerned,” said Marco, a 57-year-old resident of Los Cerritos.
The state government of Baja California, where the city of Tijuana is located, has opened temporary shelters. The Mexican government has deployed nearly 19,000 soldiers to the states most affected by the storm, while the federal electricity utility has sent 800 personnel and hundreds of vehicles to deal with possible outages.
It is the first tropical storm of the season to make landfall on the Pacific side. According to scientists, storms are getting more powerful as the world warms with climate change.
