Warning issued to Californians as hurricane threat approaches: Dont Underestimate the Storm

California may be famous for earthquakes and wildfires, but residents are now being warned to brace for a very different threat — a tropical storm with potential to pack a serious punch.Los Angeles County officials are urging residents not to let Southern California’s typically mild tropical weather lull them into a false sense of security as Tropical Storm Marie churns through the Pacific and could strengthen in the days ahead.“Don’t underestimate the storm,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department warned in a social media post.While Marie’s exact track remains uncertain, some forecast models show the storm edging toward Southern California around Labor Day weekend, raising concerns about heavy rain, powerful surf, gusty winds and dangerous flooding.One model has even suggested Marie could bring hurricane-force winds, although meteorologists say the odds of that scenario remain relatively low.The storm threat comes as a much larger weather pattern takes shape over the Pacific.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting wetter-than-normal conditions across much of the Western U.S.through mid-September as a strengthening El Niño develops, per KTLA.Southern California could be among the areas seeing the greatest impact, with NOAA forecasting a 50% to 60% chance of above-average precipitation across Southern California and southwestern Arizona from Sept.

9 through Sept.15.“Tropical moisture may produce heavy rainfall for some areas, especially the Southwest,” NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center told the outlet.For the immediate Labor Day weekend, however, the forecast remains uncertain.Marie is most likely to bring light to moderate rainfall, with less than an inch expected across most areas, according to KTLA.

But forecasters warn that conditions could change quickly depending on the storm’s eventual path and strength.And even if Marie never makes a direct approach, Southern California beachgoers could still get ...