'Significant Flooding Impacts': Hurricane Hilary On Path Toward California

A storm headed in the direction of Southern California grew into a hurricane on Thursday and later strengthened to a major Category 4 storm, the National Hurricane Center said. It is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the state — as a tropical storm — after hitting Mexico.

The storm "is not expected to be a hurricane on final approach," said Greg Postel, a hurricane and storm specialist at the Weather Channel who has a doctorate in atmospheric sciences.

The storm's remnants are likely to bring dangerous flash flooding as well as strong winds to some parts of California, including the Los Angeles Basin, the Weather Channel reports. "Significant flooding impacts" are expected in the southwestern U.S., according to the hurricane center. 

Postel said the storm will likely cause large swells along the coast in the next several days. 

"It is rare — indeed nearly unprecedented in the modern record — to have a tropical system like this move through Southern California," Postel said.

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Hurricane Hilary was located about 400 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, early Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. The storm is expected to continue moving in a west-northwest direction, the center said, with a turn toward the northwest expected Friday morning. 

Forecasters said the storm is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, with maximum amounts of 10 inches, across portions of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula through Sunday night, with the possibility of flash flooding. Postel said there will likely be "damaging wind gusts," especially at higher elevations, in the area, and swells along the coast. 

Tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect for parts of western Mexico.

On the forecast track, the center of Hilary will move close to the west coast of the Baja California peninsula over the weekend and reach southern California by Sunday night," the hurricane center said. .

"Hilary is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by Sunday afternoon before it reaches southern California," it said.