There has been a lot of talk in the media of Hurricane Hilary, landing first in Mexico, and eventually making its way into the Southern California area. So why is this such a huge deal, besides the fact that it is a hurricane?
To first understand why this is such a hot topic, one must understand tropical storms. Tropical storms are caused by warm ocean waters and wind currents that stay pretty much the same for a long period of time. The warm water vapor and the rising air form a circle of continuous air, which over time starts to form the hurricane. On the West Coast, waters are usually cooler than on the East Coast, which is why there has not been a hurricane in the California area since 1997.
Recently, the Pacific temperature has been around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a stark difference to the usual temperature of around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why the hurricane was able to reach California and Mexico. Even though the hurricane was not as strong as when it first started, somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean, it was still strong enough to cause immense damage. Hurricanes are already known for causing dangerous conditions and lasting damage, but what adds to the damage that they can do is the fact that California does not have much of the infrastructure in place for hurricanes since they very rarely happen.
California is a dry state, meaning it can go months without rainfall, as known from the droughts that often occur. Hurricane Hillary has brought incredible rainfall in its wake, so all of that water in an area with very little water is the perfect recipe for flash flooding and mudslides. Mudslides and flooding have washed away cars, block road ways and even destroy houses, which it has already done. Many people evacuated, but are now homeless because of the damage inflicted by storms. Experts estimate $7-9 billion worth of damage has been caused by this massive storm. Thankfully, no lives have been lost, but California should be prepared for a long period of cleaning up moving forward.
Donations to support those who need help getting back to a safe place after a natural disaster can donate money or goods to the Red Cross and other supportive programs in the area they live in.