Hurricane Hilary has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm and is headed toward Southern California and the Southwestern United States. Hilary is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum amounts up to 10 inches, across portions of the Baja California Peninsula through Sunday night. Flash flooding, locally significant, will be possible.
Heavy rainfall in association with Hilary is expected to impact the Southwestern United States through next Wednesday, peaking on Sunday and Monday. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of southern California and southern Nevada. Rare and dangerous flooding will be possible. Elsewhere across portions of the Western United States, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected.
Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area Saturday night and are possible within the hurricane watch by early Sunday. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area by late today, and are possible within the watch area in Mexico on Saturday and in southern California beginning Sunday.
In advance of Hurricane Hilary, we remind federal agencies of important records emergency information located at https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/essential-records, and other useful guidance.
Depending on the damage caused by the hurricane, it may be necessary for your agency to implement a records recovery operation. Water damage will likely be the major records recovery issue. We also have information available to assist federal records managers in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an emergency.
RECORDS RECOVERY – NARA’s Preservation Division provides information on their website to assist federal records managers in preparing for, responding to and recovering from an emergency.
RECORDS EMERGENCY DISPOSAL – Before agencies destroy contaminated records, NARA approval must be obtained. For more details on this process, see NARA’s information about emergency disposal.
UNAUTHORIZED DISPOSAL OF RECORDS – Federal agencies are required to notify the Archivist of any unauthorized disposal of records in the custody of the agency. For more details about this process, see NARA’s information about unauthorized disposition.
INFORMATION SECURITY – For advice and assistance on issues concerning classified national security information, please contact the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO): 202-357-5250 or via email at ISOO@nara.gov.
ESSENTIAL RECORDS GUIDE – The management of essential records is part of every federal agency’s emergency preparedness responsibility. The Essential Records Guide addresses the identification and protection of records containing information that federal agencies may need to conduct business under emergency operating conditions or to protect the legal and financial rights of the federal government and the people it serves.
For advice and assistance on other records management issues arising from the storm, please contact the appraisal archivist assigned to your agency. Please see this list of agency staff assignments and points of contact.