California expected to be hit by Hurricane Hilary this weekend

Southern California, including Los Angeles, could be hit by the remnants of Hurricane Hilary this weekend in a rare occurrence for the region.

Hilary is rapidly intensifying in the Pacific Ocean, about 500 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and is expected to grow into a major hurricane later today.

The hurricane reached Category 4 hurricane strength on Friday, bringing winds of at least 130 mph, according to the forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. The strong winds will be enough to snap trees, down power lines, and cause significant damage to properties.  

While the storm is expected to significantly weaken as it moves north, heavy rain and strong winds are still expected throughout the next few days. It is expected to impact parts of the Southwest as early as Saturday and the Los Angeles area as early as Monday. 

Despite being forecasted to hit Southern California, small deviations in the hurricane’s track could still happen, experts said. 

The heavy rain of three to six inches is also expected to create mudslides and flash flooding throughout Mexico’s Baja Peninsula from Thursday to Monday. Once the storm hits the U.S., Southern California is expected to receive its heaviest rainfall, with up to six inches of rain in some areas. 

Some parts of California could see “multiple years’ worth of precipitation” with the storm, according to University of California at Los Angeles climate scientist Daniel Swain. 

Arizona, Central California, and northern Nevada are also expected to be hit by the storm and receive rainfall amounting to one to two inches. 

If the Hilary makes landfall as a tropical storm in California, it would be the first storm to do so in almost 84 years and would be the third tropical storm ever on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The most recent tropical storm to hit Southern California in the past 100 years was in 1939. It remains unnamed. No storm has never been recorded to make landfall in California as a hurricane.