Southern California Sees First Tropical Storm Watch As Category 4 Hurricane Hilary Strengthens

Parts of Southern California were put under a tropical storm watch for the first time this season on Friday, as Hurricane Hilary grew to Category 4 strength.   The storm is expected to weaken as it approaches Southern California, but parts of the state could see impacts as soon as Saturday with potentially significant impact to include heavy rainfall that could lead to extensive flooding.

Considered “large and powerful” by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hilary was about 360 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Friday with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph as it moved through the Pacific.

The NHC said it expects Hurricane Hilary to “still be a hurricane when it approaches the West Coast of the Baja California peninsula Saturday night” but will weaken to a tropical storm before hitting Southern California on Sunday afternoon.

Noatum Logistics will be monitoring any impacts of this weather system on the LA/LB port complex and will provide further updates as needed.

If you have any questions, please contact your local Noatum Logistics representative.