Baja California Readies for Hurricane Blanca
The Category 2 hurricane, down from Category 4 on Wednesday, is expected to further weaken by late Sunday, when it approaches the resort community of Los Cabos at the southern tip of the peninsula. It quickly achieved sustained winds this week of 130 mph. The exact track of its center remains uncertain, but hurricane warnings in populated areas are expected to be issued by late Friday.
It is the second major hurricane of the season, and the earliest; the second hurricane typically arrives in mid-August, the National Hurricane Center said.
The hurricane could deliver rainfall to the deserts of the southwestern United States because of a dome of high pressure over Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. There remains a threat of thunderstorms and flooding throughout parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
Hotels in Los Cabos remain prepared for bad weather, mindful of Hurricane Odile, which was a Category 3 hurricane when it ravaged the resort in Sept. 2014. At least one hotel, the Hilton Los Cabos, closed for renovations after the 2014 storm and has not yet reopened, but local police have ensured each hotel has at least 15 days of supplies and food on hand.
