When was the last time a hurricane hit California?

Hurricane Hilary has strengthened to Category 4 strength and could be the first tropical storm to hit Southern California since 1939. Hilary is expected to cause “rare, significant impacts” including extensive flooding.

“Hilary remains a powerful Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane warning issued for parts of Baja California and tropical storm watch issued for extreme southern California,” according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

READ ALSO: When could Hurricane Hilary hit Southern California?

Hurricane Hilary: When will it make landfall in California?

According to the NHC, Hilary had sustained winds of 145 mph early Friday and was expected to strengthen a little more before beginning to weaken.

Hilary is expected to remain a hurricane as it approaches Mexico's Baja California state peninsula on Saturday night, and become a tropical storm as it approaches southern California on Sunday.

According to data from the National Weather Service (NWS), no tropical storms have made landfall in southern California since September 25, 1939.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the California/Mexico border to the Orange/Los Angeles County line and for Catalina Island.

“The potential exists for rare and dangerous flood impacts from heavy rains in parts of the southwestern United States this weekend,” said the NHC.

There is a substantial danger of flash flooding in an area stretching from San Diego to Las Vegas. In addition, according to the NHC, rainfall amounts of three to six inches are expected, with isolated amounts reaching 10 inches in parts of southern California and southern Nevada.

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Elsewhere in the western United States, rainfall totals of one to three inches are expected.

For storm information specific to your area, check for announcements issued by the National Weather Service on social media or visit the website of the NWS.