Mexico prepared on Friday for a powerful Pacific hurricane that triggered a warning of “potentially catastrophic” flooding in a northwestern tourist region and the neighboring US state of California.
Hurricane Hilary threatened to bring strong winds, flash floods and “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
“We’ve already had to live through similar experiences,” 30-year-old restaurant worker Marlen Hernandez said. “We must be prepared with food, canned goods and candles.”
Photo: AFP
Hilary’s maximum sustained winds reached about 230kph before slowing slightly on Friday, the NHC said.
It was a category four hurricane — the second-most powerful on the Saffir-Simpson scale of one to five.
“Life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding” was likely over much of Baja California, Mexico and Southern California, US this weekend and early next week, the NHC said.
Residents and workers in Cabo San Lucas put up protective boarding, laid sandbags and stored furniture in preparation, as large waves crashed ashore.
Navy personnel were seen patrolling the beach in Cabo San Lucas — a popular destination for both local and foreign tourists.
“We are a little scared and trying to stay positive,” Katrina Morgan, a tourist from the US, said in Cabo San Lucas.
Hilary was about 458km southwest of Cabo San Lucas, the NHC said.
A hurricane warning was issued for a stretch of coastline in Baja California, and a hurricane watch north from there to Ensenada.
“Weakening is expected to begin by Saturday, but Hilary will still be a hurricane when it approaches the west coast of the Baja California peninsula Saturday night and Sunday,” the NHC said. “Hilary is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by late Sunday before it reaches southern California.”
In the US, “Dangerous to locally catastrophic flooding will be possible,” the NHC said.
Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer have rescheduled games planned for today in the region as the storm nears.
Hurricanes hit Mexico every year on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.
Although their remnants sometimes affect California, it is rare for cyclones to hit the US state with tropical storm intensity.
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