Southwestern US States prepare for potentially dangerous floods amid approaching hurricane Hilary

States in the southwestern United States are bracing for potentially dangerous floods as Hurricane Hilary approaches, which has already caused damage and claimed at least one life in Mexico.

According to a bulletin issued by the US National Hurricane Center on Saturday night, the winds accompanying the hurricane have significantly weakened, but they remain fierce, reaching speeds of 90 miles per hour (145 kilometers per hour).

This speed classifies Hurricane Hilary as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which consists of five escalating categories, a significant decline from its previous Category 4 status.

The center's forecast stated that "the eye of Hurricane Hilary is expected to approach the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula by the end of the weekend and reach southern California by Sunday night."

The center warned of the possibility of "life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding" in wide areas of Baja California and southern California.

The hurricane is expected to weaken into a tropical storm before reaching the states of California and Nevada, while the threat of heavy rainfall and flooding continues.

The hurricane is moving towards US territory after causing damage in Mexico and resulting in at least one fatality.

The Mexican Civil Protection Agency announced on Saturday that river levels and water tables had risen significantly in Loreto and Mulege on the eastern coast of Baja California, which also suffered from landslides and road closures.

According to the agency, a person died after a car was swept away by a watercourse in Mulege.

In the tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas, residents and workers have erected protective barriers and placed thousands of sandbags in preparation for the storm's arrival.

Navy personnel were patrolling the beach, a popular destination for Mexican and foreign tourists.

Omar Olivera confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Saturday from a restaurant overlooking the beach where he works, saying, "We took all the precautions last night."

He pointed to the sandbags placed around the restaurant, saying, "We are just protecting the workers and waiting for the storm to hit."

In the town of Todos Santos on the west coast of the peninsula, the streets appeared deserted while the nearby beach in Los Cerritos was closed due to high waves.




AFP