Hurricane Hilary roared toward Mexico's Baja California peninsula late on August 19 as a downgraded but still dangerous Category 2 hurricane that's likely to bring "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding to the region and cross into the southwestern U.S. as a tropical storm. Mexican authorities predicted intense rainfall and electrical storms with a risk of flooding along the Pacific Coast and warned residents to take necessary precautions. The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm and potential flood warnings for Southern California from the Pacific coast to interior mountains and deserts.