Los Angeles, Aug. 21, 2023 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Hilary was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone early Monday but was still expected to threaten life with catastrophic flooding.
Hilary made landfall along Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula on Sunday, killing at least one person in Mexico and bringing torrents of rain and heavy winds to the southwestern United States.
In its 2 a.m. PDT update, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was located about 390 miles from San Diego, Calif., and was packing sustained winds of 35 mph.
The forecasters said it was moving north at 29 mph.
Despite being downgraded, the NHC said it continued to expect “life-threatening and locally catastrophic flooding” over portions of the southwestern United States.
On Sunday night, the NWS said record rainfall had been recorded throughout the Los Angeles area.
Downtown Los Angeles received 1.53 inches, which smashed the previous recored of 0.03 inches set in 1906. Los Angles Airport, Long Beach Airport, Bob Hope Airport and Palmdale Airport all received record rainfall on Sunday.
Rainfall is expected to amount to 3 to 6 inches with isolated maximum amounts upwards of 10 inches in portions of Southern California and Southern Nevada.
All coastal warnings have been discontinued.
Hilary made landfall as a tropical storm after being downgraded early Sunday from a hurricane.
Forecasters said Hilary was expected to accelerate along its path during the day, making landfall first on the peninsula’s west-central coast Sunday morning and then moving across southern California in the afternoon.
The coming of the former Hurricane Hilary has cooled off the U.S. Southwest, which for much of the summer has been baking under weeks of record-high temperatures. The high in Las Vegas on Saturday was 79. the lowest high ever for Aug. 19.
