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Satellites monitored the weakening of tropical storm Hilary as it brought heavy rainfall to California, just hours after a series of earthquakes struck a region north of Los Angeles. The convergence of these two natural disasters has been dubbed the “hurriquake.” Fortunately, the damage caused was less severe than initially predicted.

Hilary began as a Category 4 hurricane, but lost most of its strength before making landfall on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Sunday afternoon. As it moved northward towards California, it continued to disintegrate. However, the storm still resulted in record-breaking levels of rainfall, leading to devastating flash floods. In the town of Santa Rosalia, one man reportedly drowned as several buildings became submerged.

By Monday morning, Hilary had further weakened into a post-tropical cyclone, but weather warnings remained in effect for southern parts of Nevada and California. The U.S. National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) warned of additional rainfall of up to 4 inches (10 cm) in Southern California and Southern Nevada, with some areas potentially experiencing up to 12 inches (30 cm). Flash and urban flooding were expected to continue.

The storm is projected to continue tracking northward to Oregon and Idaho, with an estimated 5 inches (13 cm) of rainfall expected by Tuesday. NOAA warns of potential localized flash flooding in these areas.

It is worth noting that Hilary is only the second tropical storm on record to hit Southern California, with the first being Hurricane Nora in 1997.

Meanwhile, above the Atlantic Ocean, three named storms – Emily, Franklin, and Gert – have formed. Franklin is expected to make landfall in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, according to AccuWeather.

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