DEVELOPING: Hurricane Hilary Strengthens to Category 4 Storm – Southern California Bracing For Direct Hit! | The Gateway Pundit | by Cristina Laila

Hurricane Hilary strengthened to a powerful Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds on Friday.

Hilary is currently churning in the Eastern Pacific just south of Baja California.

The storm will lose intensity and likely hit Southern California as a tropical storm by Saturday night or Sunday morning. San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles are bracing for gusty winds (70 mph) and flooding.

forecast cone

This is a rare event for Southern California.

According to the National Weather Service, Southern California has not been hit by a tropical storm since September 25, 1939.

Southern California is on alert for flash flooding, mudslides, damaging winds, and high surf.