Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall along Mexico's Baja coast, carrying deluge to California

ENSENADA, Mexico (AP) — Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall along Mexico's Baja California coast Sunday as concerns mounted over the storm causing what could be deadly flash flooding in the border city of Tijuana, Southern California and places as far north as Idaho that rarely get such heavy rain.

Hilary hit the coast in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometres) south of Ensenada.

The storm has already caused flooding in places across Mexico's arid peninsula and threatens to unleash torrential rains on mudslide-prone Tijuana, where many improvised houses cling to steep hillsides just south of the US border.

Forecasters warned the storm could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornadoes.

Parts of the US Southwest could be hit with once-in-a-century rains and there is a good chance Hilary could break all-time records as the wettest known tropical cyclone to douse Nevada, Oregon and Idaho.

As of 11 am Pacific time, Hilary was located about 215 miles (340 kilometres) south-southeast of San Diego, the National Hurricane Center reported. Hilary had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) and was moving northwest at 25 mph (41 kph).

The Mexican cities of Ensenada and Tijuana, directly in the storm's path, closed all beaches and opened a half-dozen shelters at sports complexes and government offices.

Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said that while Hilary had weakened from a Category 4 hurricane, it's the water, not the wind, that people should watch out for most.
"Rainfall flooding has been the biggest killer in tropical storms and hurricanes in the United States in the past 10 years and you don't want to become a statistic," Brennan said in an online briefing from Miami.

One person drowned Saturday in the Mexican town of Santa Rosalia when a vehicle was swept away in an overflowing stream. Rescue workers saved four other people, said Edith Aguilar Villavicencio, the mayor of Mulege township.

Forecasters expected Hilary to make history as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages.

Light rain fell across normally sunny Southern California through Sunday morning, soaking streets from Los Angeles to San Diego. Some joggers took advantage of the cool rain in San Diego's Waterfront Park while surfers braved Orange County's breakers ahead of the coming wind and rain.

Tropical storm and potential flood warnings were posted for the entirety of Southern California, from the Pacific coast to interior mountains and deserts, and as far north as eastern Oregon and Idaho. Hilary was expected to remain a tropical storm into central Nevada early Monday before dissipating.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.