Hurricane Hilary, on path toward Long Beach, could bring severe rain

A storm headed in the direction of Southern California grew into a hurricane on Thursday and later strengthened to a major Category 4 storm, the National Hurricane Center reported.

It is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the state as a tropical storm after hitting Mexico.

While Hilary is expected to weaken as it approaches, the remnants could still bring several inches of rain and potential flooding to the area.

Hilary could dump more than a year’s worth of rain in parts of Long Beach. Because of the threat, a rare high risk, Level 4 of 4, of excessive rainfall has been issued for parts of California. It’s the first time a high risk high surf has been issued for the area.

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And in 1978, the remnants of Hurricane Norman made landfall near Long Beach, though by then, the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression.

For more information about sandbags, call (562) 570-2525 or email cert@longbeach.gov.