Sandbags are readily available for Los Angeles County residents preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary.
When Hilary reaches Southern California, weather experts expect it to be a tropical storm. The unusual weather event for California is slated to make its way toward the Baja California peninsula first before reaching the southland.
L.A. County
For those preparing for the arrival of Hilary, sandbags are available at multiple locations throughout the county.
Sandbags are an inexpensive and efficient way to prevent water from entering homes and businesses. They can also be used to create a barrier or divert water away from a building, according to Cal EOS.
Ready to fill sandbags are available at all neighborhood fire stations across the county. Residents can use this website to find their nearest fire station.
Another list of fire stations will fillable sandbags can also be found here.
Sand, however, isn’t available at each location. Some locations, like the fire station in Eagle Rock or Hollywood, may have sand, depending on seasonal conditions.
A list of fire stations with sand and sandbags can be found at the bottom of this website.
Orange County
Most Orange County Fire Authority fire stations will have empty sandbags available for residents to pick up.
County residents can visit this website to find their nearest fire station that offers both sand and sandbags.
San Bernardino County
Similar to L.A. and Orange County residents, empty sandbags are available at San Bernardino County fire stations, but officials warn that only a limited supply is available.
Anyone unable to get sandbags from their location fire station can also purchase them at local hardware and home improvement stores, such as Home Depot
Officials say that filling the bags with soil is also effective for those that can’t find sand.
While it is unusual for a tropical storm -or a hurricane- to hit California, it’s not entirely impossible. Last year, Tropical Storm Kay brought rain, high winds and flooding to the region.
Before that, the only known hurricane to make landfall in the Golden State was a Category 1 storm that came ashore near San Diego in 1858. The storm brought 39 to 79 mph winds that also impacted Long Beach and brought flooding to inland areas, according to the Washington Post.
On Sept. 25, 1939, a tropical storm made landfall between San Diego and Long Beach, resulting in 50 mph winds and flooding that likely killed at least 45 people.
And in 1978, the remnants of Hurricane Norman made landfall near Long Beach, though by then, the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression.
Two other tropical storms, Fernanda and Greg, were far out to sea in the Pacific, the Associated Press reported.