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…
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