First Ever Tropical Storm Watch Issued In Southern California, Potential For A Year’s Worth Of Rain – One America News Network

OAN’s Sophia Flores
11:55 AM – Friday, August 18, 2023

A new tropical storm will hit California over the weekend. Hurricane Hilary, the first ever Tropical Storm Watch issued in California, is set to bring more than a year’s worth of rain to parts of the state.

Advertisement

On Thursday, The National Hurricane Center announced that Hilary gained momentum and was expected to develop into a major hurricane. By Friday morning, Hurricane Hilary strengthened to a Category 4 storm.

By the time Hilary arrives on shore, it is expected to be classified as a tropical storm.

The tropical storm first formed on Wednesday off the coast of Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. At the time, the storm had winds of 40 mph.

The Hurricane Center said that “Hilary has the potential to bring impacts to the Baja California Peninsula and portions of the southwestern United States this weekend.” Additionally, they stated that Hilary had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.

Parts of California have begun preparing for Hilary by placing sandbag stations throughout its cities.

The Golden State hasn’t been in a path of a storm since the 1970’s. The last time a storm made landfall in California was in 1939. 45 people died and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the Long Beach Tropical Storm.