The wind blows in Los Cerritos group in La Paz, Baja California State, Mexico, throughout the passage of Hurricane Hilary, on Aug. 19.

Alfredo Estrella /AFP through Getty Images

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Alfredo Estrella /AFP through Getty Images

The wind blows in Los Cerritos group in La Paz, Baja California State, Mexico, throughout the passage of Hurricane Hilary, on Aug. 19.

Alfredo Estrella /AFP through Getty Images

Tropical Storm Hilary is approaching Southern California and elements of the Southwest on Sunday — bringing fierce winds and historic rainfall to areas that haven’t seen tropical storm circumstances in more than 80 years.

Hilary, which was downgraded from a hurricane on Sunday, has been barreling by means of Mexico close to the Baja California peninsula. At least one person died of drowning within the Mexican city of Santa Rosalia amid the storm. Mexico’s hurricane watch has ended, however the Baja California coast remains to be below risk of flash floods.

As as of 8 a.m. native time on Sunday, the storm was about 220 miles south-southeast of San Diego and touring at 25 miles per hour. It is predicted to comb throughout southern California by the afternoon, in response to the National Weather Service.

Hilary is predicted to stay a tropical storm earlier than it reaches southern California — that means wind speeds are anticipated to be between 39 to 73 miles per hour. Along with these winds, forecasters warn the heavy rain related to the system will pose critical risk of “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” to the area.

Portions of southern California and southern Nevada are anticipated to common between 3 to six inches of rainfall — however may obtain as much as 10 inches. Some elements will doubtless accumulate extra rain in only a matter of hours than they usually do in a whole yr, forecasters mentioned. Winds may also be notably sturdy and gusty on elevated terrain.

Much of southern California is below its first-ever tropical storm warning, on condition that the area is most frequented by disasters like wildfires and earthquakes. Meteorologists say the final time a storm of this power hit southern California was again in 1939.

On Saturday evening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency for a number of counties, together with Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Tulare, Orange and Ventura. Some of these communities, like elements of San Bernardino County, have already acquired evacuation orders.

The Flood Operations Center, Cal Fire and the California National Guard are on standby with water autos and water rescue groups amid flood threats. State officers additionally urged residents to enroll in flood and evacuation alerts from their counties, in addition to put together their pets and household in case they should evacuate.

NPR’s Julia Simon contributed reporting.