Flights and other travel plans may be disrupted by the powerful storm moving up the Baja California Peninsula and toward the southwestern United States.
As Hurricane Hilary headed toward the Baja California Peninsula and the southwestern United States on Sunday, meteorologists forecast heavy rain, flooding and even tornadoes in the region.
It’s unclear where Hilary will make landfall, but this severe weather has already disrupted travel and affected flights this weekend, particularly through Los Cabos International Airport in San José del Cabo, Mexico, and airports in Nevada and Southern California. Here’s what travelers need to know.
Where is the storm headed?
Hilary has been weakening to a Category 1 hurricane as it heads to land, but it is still expected to lash the Baja California Peninsula with extreme winds and rain. Currently, there is a hurricane watch in effect for most of the northern half of the Baja California Peninsula.
Forecasters predict up to 10 inches of rain through Sunday evening across the peninsula. Mexico’s national meteorological service said there could also be intense winds and hail, as well as landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
When it hits the United States, the storm is forecast to weaken to a tropical storm. The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, in effect from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening.
What are the airlines doing?
As of Sunday morning, more than 500 flights through airports within the southwestern United States, including airports serving San Diego and Los Angeles, were delayed or canceled.
Major carriers are waiving change fees for flights scheduled through this weekend to or from Los Cabos Airport. They are also waiving change fees for flights scheduled through Monday at a handful of airports in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona, with varying restrictions.
Changes on American Airlines must be booked by Aug. 20 for Los Cabos and Aug. 21 for select airports in the southwestern United States and completed within a year. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are waiving fare differences for flights on or before Aug. 23.
And Delta, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways are offering rebooking for customers traveling to or from Las Vegas.
Alaska Airlines’s policy to allow no-fee flight changes and cancellations also applies to Loreto Airport, on the east coast of Baja California Sur.
Air travelers should monitor their flight status using their airline’s website or app. FlightAware, a flight tracking service, also provides timely insight into delays and cancellations at domestic and international airports.
What precautions are local hotels taking?
Lilzi Orci, president of the Los Cabos Hotel Association, said that each of the association’s 93 hotels had an “action plan” to keep visitors safe, including a “certified place” to serve as a temporary refuge for guests. She said that hotels were preparing for the storm by taking steps such as clearing lawns of debris, locking down garden furniture and monitoring power regulators.
“We are always in communication with the San José del Cabo International Airport so we can know the status of the flights and to be able to inform the guests,” she said. “In this way we also prevent them from going outside if their flight is canceled.”
Hilton is waiving cancellation penalties through Aug. 23 at its properties in Baja California Sur, including the Beach and Golf Resort in Los Cabos and the Waldorf Astoria Pedregal, a hotel spokesperson said.
Marriott International is also waiving cancellation fees for guests who have stays booked at its properties “in the path of Hurricane Hilary,” said Kerstin Sachl, a spokeswoman for the hotel brand.
What about the beaches?
Ms. Orci said that Mexican authorities had already closed the ports and beaches in Los Cabos.
Over the next few days, the coast of southwestern Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula could see large swells “likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” according to an advisory from the National Weather Service in the United States.
A storm surge, accompanied by “destructive waves,” is likely to cause coastal flooding along the western Baja California Peninsula, the Weather Service said. On the Baja California Sur coast, these waves could rise to 22 feet, Mexico’s meteorological service said.
California has temporarily closed all state beaches in Orange and San Diego Counties, as well as some inland parks. “Reservation holders are being contacted and refunds will be provided,” according to the state’s parks and recreation department.
Are any cruise ships sailing?
Two Carnival cruise ships, the Radiance and the Panorama, were scheduled to depart in separate sailings from Long Beach, Calif., to Mexico on Friday and Saturday.
Because of the storm, the cruise line modified the itinerary for the Panorama, canceling a port call to Mazatlán, Mexico, and changing the date for a port call to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to one day earlier.
“We are continuing to monitor the storm and factor in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the local port authorities to provide timely updates to our guests as more information becomes available,” Carnival said in a statement on Sunday.
Ceylan Yeginsu and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega contributed reporting.
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