As it rounded the western tip of Cuba on Monday afternoon and strengthened to major hurricane status, half of Florida s counties were placed in a state of emergency. Braced for the worst, the worst came to be.
Storm Hilary left a trail of destruction in Southern California, flooding roads and triggering mudslides and power blackouts, although no deaths were reported. Meanwhile, one person died in Mexico.
Mexico prepared Friday for a powerful Pacific hurricane that triggered a warning of "potentially catastrophic" flooding in a northwestern tourist region and the neighboring US state of California.