Hurricane Hilary, currently a powerful Category 4 storm, is expected to bring a significant amount of flooding rain to parts of the southwestern United States and California. The hurricane could dump more than a year’s worth of rain on parts of California, Nevada and Arizona. Due to the severe threat, parts of California face a rare risk of Level 4 heavy rain, the first of its kind to be issued for that region.

Hilary, which made landfall about 360 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, quickly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane within 24 hours. It is expected to be a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Mexico’s Baja California peninsula over the weekend.

The first tropical storm watch has been issued for California, which extends from the California-Mexico border to the Orange County-Los Angeles County line. Hilary is more likely to make landfall in Mexico and cross into California. If it makes landfall in California as a tropical storm, it would be the first such storm in nearly 84 years.

Despite expected weakening before reaching Southern California and the Southwest, Hilary will still bring more heavy rain and increased flooding danger. The heaviest showers are likely on Sunday and Monday. Southern California and Nevada could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain, with isolated areas receiving up to 10 inches. Central parts of those states, as well as western Arizona and southwestern Utah, could see 1 to 3 inches of rain.

Thanks to Hilary, some of the driest parts of California could receive multi-year rainfall, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Death Valley, which normally receives about 2 inches of rain annually, can receive up to 2 years of rain in one day.

Prolonged rain can cause oversaturation and overflow waterways, increasing the threat of flooding. A flood watch is in effect for the weekend in Southern California, with warnings for high swell, rip currents and coastal flooding.

This article is sourced from and written by AI.

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