Hurricane Hilary has weakened into a Category 1 storm and is expected to be downgraded into a Tropical Storm by the time it hits the Los Angeles area later today.
But the storm could still bring flooding and winds that potentially cause roof damage.
In advance of the main storm, officials advised the evacuation of Santa Catalina Island, and many Los Angeles area events – including at least one church service – were canceled.
The storm brought heavy rain and flooding to Mexico on Saturday, ahead of the storm’s expected Sunday border crossing.
The weakening storm should still be regarded with caution, officials said.
“This does not lessen the threat, especially the flood threat,” Jamie Rhome, the US National Hurricane Center’s deputy director, said during a Saturday briefing to announce the storm’s downgraded status. “Don’t let the weakening trend and the intensity lower your guard.”
As of midnight on Saturday, the storm was about 90 miles south of Punta Eugenia, Mexico, and 450 miles from San Diego, California.
The storm is the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years
The forecast prompted authorities to issue an evacuation advisory for Santa Catalina Island, located 23 miles off the California coast.
Elizabeth Adams, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service San Diego office, said rain could fall up to 3 inches an hour across Southern California’s mountains and deserts, from late Sunday morning into the afternoon.