California hasn't been hit by a tropical storm since 1939. By Saturday night, the previous sentence may have to be corrected to "California hasn't been hit by a tropical storm since 2023."
Hurricane Hilary, a Category 4 storm forming off the coast Mexico's Baja California peninsula, is due to arrive in Southern California by Saturday night, bringing with it high winds and heavy rain. It's expected to peak over the weekend and die off by Monday.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch in effect from late Saturday night through Monday evening. "Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations."
Affected areas include: Orange County Coastal Areas, Orange County Inland Areas, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire, San Diego County Coastal Areas, San Diego County Valleys and Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills.
From the National Weather Service:
Monsoonal and tropical moisture is expected to surge into southern California over the weekend in advance of Hurricane Hilary, expected to reach far southern California early Monday at tropical storm strength. Widespread heavy rainfall is expected with the heaviest rainfall Sunday night and early Monday.
