Hurricane Polo heads toward Baja California Sur, bringing flood risk to U.S. Southwest

Hurricane Polo, which surged from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane within 24 hours, is forecast to hit Baja California Sur on Monday night, according to AccuWeather expert Alex DaSilva. The storm’s sustained winds have hit 180 mph twice in the past week, a rarity, and the National Hurricane Center now classifies it as a Category 3 system with 115 mph winds as it approaches the coast. Authorities have posted hurricane warnings for both the western and eastern coasts of Baja California Sur and for adjacent mainland Mexican areas.

Rainfall could exceed 12 inches on the peninsula and reach eight inches in southern Sonora, prompting warnings of flash floods and mudslides. After moving inland, Polo’s moisture will spread northward, combining with other atmospheric moisture to heighten flood danger in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and the central Plains, where flood watches have already been issued by the National Weather Service.