One of the strongest hurricanes to ever form in the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Polo has weakened to a Category 3 storm before crossing the northern Baja Peninsula. Nevertheless, its copious moisture has and will continue to drench the Four Corners Region. Flash flooding is expected to occur due to the mountainous terrain, the torrential downpours and the hard, non-absorbent, desert soil.
A cold front, approaching from the northwest, will intensify the flow of moisture from Polo, sending it through the Four Corners States and across the Great Plains; the Southern Plains will receive most of the rain as moisture flows in from both the Sea of Cortez and the Gulf of Mexico. Though that area has been in a prolonged drought, too much rain over a short period of time will flood the streams while offering limited drought relief.
Furthermore, powerful waves, spreading north from Polo, will rake the coast of Southern California, exacerbating the damage recently caused by Hurricane Marie. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Basin remains quiet as a Super El Niño suppresses tropical development in that oceanic region.
