A MAJOR STORM THREATENING THE
WEST COAST.
HURRICANE HILLARY HAS
INTENSIFIED INTO A POWERFUL
CATEGORY 4 STORM AS IT NEARS
CABO SAN LUCAS.
IT COULD BRING HEAVY RAIN,
FLOODING, AND POWERFUL WINDS TO
CALIFORNIA'S BAJA IN THE
SOUTHWEST.
>> THE HURRICANE IS EXPECTED TO
WEAKEN AS IT HEADS NORTH.
IF IT HITS CALIFORNIA AS A
TROPICAL STORM IT WOULD BE A
RARE AND UNPRECEDENTED EVENT.
THE FIRST ONE TO DO SO IN 84
YEARS.
WE BEGIN WITH OUR METEOROLOGIST
DEREK VAN DAM.
I THINK ANYONE WAKING UP THIS
MORNING HEARING A HURRICANE IS
HEADING TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
WILL BE VERY CONFUSED, AS I WAS.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN A LOT.
>> YEAH, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO
1939, THE LAST TIME WE HAD A
TROPICAL STORM MADE LANDFALL IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS IS
SIGNIFICANT AND PEOPLE ARE GOING
TO BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD WITH THIS
SYSTEM.
WE'RE CLOSELY MONITORING IT, BUT
THIS STORM INTENSIFIED BY 75
MILES PER HOUR JUST IN THE PAST
24 HOURS.
IT IS A CAT 4, WINDS RIGHT NOW
AT 145 MILES PER HOUR.
WHEN WILL WE FEEL THE IMPACTS?
THE BAJA PENINSULA HERE, THIS IS
PART OF MEXICO, OF COURSE,
THEY'LL FEEL IMPACTS BY SATURDAY
MORNING.
BUT AS EARLY AS SATURDAY EVENING
INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
CERTAINLY INTO THE DAY ON
SUNDAY, AND ONCE AGAIN ON MONDAY
ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHWESTERN
U.S.
BUT THIS STORM IS GOING TO
ENCOUNTER SOME SIGNIFICANTLY
COOLER WATER COMPARED TO WHERE
IT'S MOVING ACROSS RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS IS GOING TO
SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKEN THE STORM
AS IT APPROACHES CALIFORNIA.
IT'S LIKELY AND EXPLICIT WORDING
FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER, THIS WILL PACK THE PUNCH
OF A STORM AS IT REACHES, LET'S
SAY, SAN DIEGO, PERHAPS INTO LOS
ANGELES.
NOW THIS IS A GAME OF MILES.
IF THIS STORM STAYS OFFSTORE, WE
HAVE MORE COASTAL IMPACTS --
EROSION, LARGE WAVES, RIP
CURRENTS, AND EVEN URBAN
FLOODING BECAUSE OF THE
PROXIMITY TO THE LARGER CITIES.
BUT IF IT MOVES INLAND, IT
STARTS TO GET SHEARED APART BY
THE BAJA PENINSULA, IT BRINGS
THE FLASH FLOOD MORE INLAND, MUD
SLIDES AND THE FLOODING IS A BIG
CONCERN HERE AS THE POTENTIAL
EXISTS FOR UPWARDS OF A YEAR'S
WORTH OF RAIN, IF NOT MORE, OUT
OF THIS STORM SYSTEM WITHIN A
PERIOD OF A DAY OR TWO REALLY, A
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL THREAT FOR
MUCH OF THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S.
INCLUDING OUR LARGEST
POPULATIONS FROM L.A. TO SAN
DIEGO.
>> A YEAR'S WORTH OF RAIN.
DEREK, WE KEEP YOUR AGILE IN
YOUR JOB.
NO SHORTAGE OF WEATHER EVENTS
YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE
WILDFIRES IN CANADA.
THOUSANDS ARE UNDER EVACUATION
ORDERS.
WHAT'S THE LATEST ON THAT?
>> YEAH, LOOK AT THE SMOKE JUST
BILLOWING OUT FROM THESE FIRES
ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
THE FIRES THAT ARE IMPACTING
YELLOWKNIFE WITH OVER 20,000
PEOPLE BEING EVACUATED FROM THIS
CAPITAL CITY, THIS IS
SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WE HAVE A
COLD FRONT THAT'S GOING TO MOVE
THROUGH THIS AREA.
SO WHAT THAT WILL DO IS BRING
THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS.
SO MORE IGNITION CHANCES FOR
ADDITIONAL FIRES TO FORM.
OF COURSE WE NEED THE RAIN, BUT
IT WON'T BE ENOUGH TO QUELL THE
WILDFIRES BECAUSE THE WINDS WILL
PICK UP WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS
FRONT, 25 TO 35 MILES PER HOUR,
NOT TO MENTION THE DEGRADATION
OF THE QUALITY OF OUR AIR WE
CONTINUE TO BREATHE ACROSS THE
MIDWEST.
WE HAVE AIR QUALITY ALERTS
STRETCHING FROM CENTRAL CANADA
ALL THE WAY INTO THE NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
JUST LOOK AT THIS, POPPY AND
PHIL.
THIS YEAR'S WILDFIRE BURNED
ACRES ECLIPSING THE PAST 40
YEARS FOR CANADA.
>> THAT PUTS EVERYTHING INTO
PERSPECTIVE.
>>> KEEP IN MIND WITH HURRICANE
HILARY HEADING TOWARDS THE WEST
COAST, FEMA IS ALREADY RUNNING
OUT OF DISASTER RELIEF MONEY
BEFORE THE ATLANTIC SEASON EVEN
STARTS TO RAMP UP.
IT'S BEEN A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR
WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN
BILLION-DOLLAR WEATHER DISASTERS
COAST TO COAST FROM CATASTROPHIC
FLOODING TO TORNADO OUTBREAKS TO
CRIPPLING WINTER STORMS.
THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING THE
RECENT HISTORIC FLOODS ACROSS
THE NORTHEAST AND THAT
DEVASTATING MAUI WILDFIRE THAT
HAS BECOME THE DEADLIEST U.S.
FIRE IN OVER A CENTURY.
>> A FEMA OFFICIAL TELLS CNN THE
RELIEF FUND COULD BE USED UP BY
THE END OF THIS MONTH UNLESS
CONGRESS ACTS.
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE THIS
MORNING, THAT'S TERRIFYING.
IS THERE AN ASSURANCE CONGRESS
WILL ACT?
>> Reporter: IT'S GOING TO BE
TOP OF MIND WHEN THEY RETURN,
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE WHEN I
TALKED TO OFFICIALS ABOUT THIS
IS IT WOULD DELAY THAT CRITICAL
RECOVERY IF FEMA DOES NOT GET
THESE FUNDS.
AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S BEEN A
RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR
EXPENSIVE DISASTERS, AND THAT'S
PUT AN INTENSE STRAIN ON THEIR
FUNDS WHICH COULD BE DEPLETED BY
MID TO END OF AUGUST.
THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BEEN
MONITORING THIS, AND IN THEIR
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST TO
CONGRESS, THEY INCLUDED AN
ADDITIONAL $12 BILLION FOR THESE
FUNDS.
THE FEMA ADMINISTRATOR WAS ASKED
ABOUT THIS AT A WHITE HOUSE
BRIEFING THIS WEEK AND SHE ALSO
CONCEDED THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH
FUNDS FOR THE INITIAL RESPONSE
TO MAUI, BUT THEY STILL NEED
MORE TO GET ALL THE RECOVERY
THERE.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO
SUPPORT THE ONGOING RESPONSE
EFFORTS, BECAUSE WE TAKE EVENTS
LIKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION,
BUT IT WOULD DELAY -- IF WE
DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING,
IT WOULD DELAY SOME OF THE
RECOVERY PROJECTS AND PUSH THEM
INTO NEXT YEAR.
>> Reporter: NOW A FEMA OFFICIAL
ALSO TELLS ME THAT A LOT OF
THESE FUNDS GO TO PREP.
SO IF WE KNOW A HURRICANE IS
COMING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT YOU
JUST MENTIONED, OR ANY OTHER
SORT OF NATURAL DISASTER, THEY
CAN START TO SEND SUPPLIES AND
PEOPLE THERE KNOWING THERE'S
GOING TO HAVE TO BE RECOVERY
EFFORTS ON THE BACK END.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE FUNDS,
THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO
THAT WORK.
AND SO ALL OF THAT WOULD SLOW
DOWN RECOVERY.
OF COURSE THIS IS FUELING
CONCERN WITHIN THE AGENCY, AND
THE ASK IS GOING TO CONGRESS FOR
THEM TO WORK ON THIS AS THESE
NATURAL DISASTERS CONTINUE TO
HAPPEN.
>> CONGRESS THAT IS NOT
CURRENTLY IN SESSION FOR THE
MONTH OF AUGUST, AND THAT
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST INCLUDED
UKRAINE, TOO.
THE PATHWAY IS UP IN THE AIR.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, THANK YOU.