Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency and sheriff orders evacuations as ... trends now
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as California braces for Hurricane Hilary to hit today.
Residents in the south of the state have been given evacuation orders ahead of the historic storm making landfall around 1pm.
The governor's office has tried to reassure them extensive preparations are underway, including the placing of 'more than 7,500 boots on the ground'.
Despite this, panic buying has stripped shelves bare of essentials in the supermarkets of San Diego and Los Angeles.
'California continues to mobilize ahead of Hurricane Hilary's projected landfall in Southern California. People are urged to take all necessary precautions today' the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Saturday evening.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a proclamation of a state of emergency for California on Saturday
Hurricane Hilary is currently registered as a Category 1 storm, downgraded from a Category 2 on Saturday night
Panic buying has stripped shelves bare in the supermarkets of San Diego and Los Angeles (pictured)
A sandbank has been placed at Seal Beach in California in an attempt to mitigate the worst effects of the expected stormy waves
Calm before the storm: Eerie San Lucas awaits Hilary, set to hit on Sunday afternoon
'Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for much of Southern California to support Hurricane Hilary response and recovery efforts as the state continues mobilizing and coordinating resources ahead of the storm's forecasted impacts starting today.
'At the Governor's direction, there are currently more than 7,500 boots on the ground deployed to help local communities protect Californians from the impacts of Hurricane Hilary,' it read.
The state has prepared water rescue teams, California National Guard personnel and flood fighting equipment ahead of Hilary's arrival, officials said.
Hurricane Hilary is currently registered as a Category 1 storm, downgraded from a Category 2 on Saturday night.
The National Hurricane Center warned Hilary could bring 'catastrophic and life-threatening flooding' to Baja California and the Southwestern US.
The threat has triggered California's first ever tropical storm warning extending from the state's southern border to just north of Los Angeles.
The storm may dump more than a year's worth of rain on parts of the Southwest, the National Weather Service has warned.
Part of Nevada and Southern California may see as much as 10 inches of rainfall hit in a matter of hours.
The storm may dump more than a year's worth of rain on parts of the Southwest, the National Weather Service has warned
Customers rush to purchase emergency preparation gear in Los Angeles on Saturday
