A recent report from the National Hurricane Center revealed that the remnants of former Hurricane Hilary, although no longer classified as a tropical storm, had a significant impact when it entered California in August. The storm caused an estimated $900 million in damages in the United States and tragically resulted in three deaths, two in Mexico and one in California.
Hurricane Hilary weakened to a tropical storm as it moved north off Mexico's Pacific coast before making landfall in northern Baja California. The storm's center became less defined due to encountering mountainous terrain and other atmospheric conditions, eventually losing its tropical characteristics and becoming a post-tropical cyclone over northern Baja California.
Simultaneously, a low-pressure system near the coast of Southern California absorbed the remnants of Hilary, forming a new system that continued over the southwestern U.S. Forecasters faced challenges in tracking Hilary as it became diffuse, leading to uncertainty about the identity of the low-pressure area.
The new analysis was based on a post-cyclone examination of real-time and additional data that was not initially available. Despite the changes in classification, the report emphasized that the wind impacts from Hilary and its remnants were still significant in the southwestern United States.
Although the storm's center did not directly enter the United States, its large wind field caused sustained tropical-storm-force winds in some inland locations, leading to its classification as having impacted the U.S. as a tropical storm. The aftermath included flooded neighborhoods, particularly in Riverside County's Coachella Valley, and road destruction.
One notable occurrence was the formation of an ephemeral lake in Death Valley National Park due to the heavy rain brought by Hilary's remnants. This lake, sustained by a recent atmospheric river, continues to persist as a reminder of the storm's lasting effects.
