Hurricane Hilary (2023) facts for kids
Hurricane Hilary is a post-tropical cyclone currently over the southwestern United States. The eighth named storm, sixth hurricane, and fourth major hurricane of the 2023 Pacific hurricane season, Hilary originated from a disturbance south of the southern coast of Mexico associated with a tropical wave that entered the far eastern Pacific Ocean from Central America on August 12. The disturbance gradually grew more organized, and became Tropical Storm Hilary off the coast of Manzanillo, Colima, on August 16. Hilary quickly strengthened into a hurricane the next day. Then, while tracking west-northwestward on August 17 and 18, Hilary underwent rapid intensification, reaching its Category 4 hurricane peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (233 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 939 millibars (27.7 inHg). The cyclone then quickly weakened the following day as a result of the adverse effects of cooler sea surface temperatures, drier air, and increasing wind shear. After weakening into a tropical storm, Hilary made landfall in San Quintín, Baja California, at 18:00 UTC on August 20, about 215 mi (346 km) south-southeast of San Diego, California.
Hilary was the first tropical cyclone to directly impact California at tropical storm intensity since the 1939 Long Beach tropical storm. In anticipation of "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding", the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued an unprecedented tropical storm warning for Southern California, extending from the Mexico–United States border to just north of Los Angeles. Forecasting persistent heavy rainfall, potentially "more than a year’s worth of rain" in some areas, flood watches were issued, affecting about 26 million people in four states (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah), and the entire region was placed under a high risk threat for flash flooding by the Weather Prediction Center (WPC). Hurricane Hilary caused one direct death and three indirect deaths in Mexico.
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Impact
Mexico
Heavy rains from the developing storm affected portions of southern and western Mexico, and ports were closed to navigation along the Pacific coast from Oaxaca to Colima on August 17. Coastal areas of Sinaloa recorded torrential rains from the hurricane's passage, with the first fatality reported on August 18 in Navolato. Damage was also reported in the municipalities of Angostura, Badiraguato, Elota, and Salvador Alvarado.
On the Baja California peninsula, nearly 1,900 people were evacuated to shelters.
United States
Numerous flash flood warnings were issued across southern California, including Los Angeles. Roads were flooded across Death Valley National Park. Portions of Interstate 8, Interstate 10, Interstate 15, California State Route 14, and the Pacific Coast Highway closed due to flooding and rockslides. Floodwaters entered Eisenhower Medical Center, but this did not impact operations there. Vehicles were inundated in Palm Springs and Coachella Valley. Palm Springs declared a local state of emergency. Pixar Pier was temporarily evacuated, as warning sirens were heard there. A tornado warning was issued for Alpine and Descanso. Water rescues occurred across the San Diego area. 9-1-1 lines were down in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Indio. A local state of emergency was declared in Indio. At least 1,000 flights were cancelled and 3,700 were delayed. More than 5,000 customers were left without electricity according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
See also
- Other storms named Hilary
- Tropical cyclones in 2023
- Weather of 2023
- Timeline of the 2023 Pacific hurricane season
- List of Category 4 Pacific hurricanes
